Zone
Yvelines

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20SNA in Élancourt: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1991
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
Registration:
309/F-UGWP
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Luxeuil - Vélizy-Villacoublay
MSN:
309
YOM:
1975
Location:
Élancourt
Yvelines
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Luxeuil-Saint Sauveur AFB on a training flight to Vélizy-Villacoublay AFB on behalf of the 'Système de Navigation d’Attaque' (SNA). On approach, both engines lost power and the crew elected to divert to Toussus-le-Noble Airport for an emergency landing. The captain eventually attempted to land on a sports field when the aircraft struck a concrete wall and crashed, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found in Élancourt, about 17 km west of Vélizy-Villacoublay AFB. The aircraft christened 'Étoile du Berger' was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cdt Jean-Luc Luciani,
Cpt Christian Huth,
Cpt Pierre Schmitt,
Lt Philippe Hirson.
Probable cause:
It is believed that both engines lost power on approach after ice detached from both wings surfaces.

Crash of a Morane-Saulnier M.S.760 Paris I in Biarritz

Date & Time: May 29, 1982
Type of aircraft:
Morane-Saulnier M.S.760 Paris
Operator:
Registration:
96
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Vélizy-Villacoublay – Biarritz
MSN:
96
YOM:
1961
Location:
Biarritz
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a flight from Vélizy-Villacoublay to Biarritz when it crashed upon landing in unclear circumstances. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20C in Rambouillet: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1976
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
GLAM - Groupe de Liaisons Aériennes Ministérielles
Registration:
154/F-RAFK
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Vélizy-Villacoublay - Toulouse-Francazal
MSN:
154
YOM:
1968
Location:
Rambouillet
Yvelines
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Vélizy-Villacoublay, en route to Francazal Airbase in Toulouse, the airplane went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances in Rambouillet, about 30 km southwest of its departure point. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Crash of a Nord 262A-34 near Mézilhac: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1971 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Nord 262
Operator:
Registration:
44/F-RBOA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Vélizy-Villacoublay - Orange
MSN:
44
YOM:
1968
Location:
Mézilhac
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base on a special flight to Orange AFB, carrying six officers, seven engineers of the CEA - Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (Central commission for nuclear energy) and a crew of eight who were scheduled to conduct an inspection of the nuclear center of Pierrelatte. The pilot was cleared by Marseille ATC to descent to 8,000 feet until Montélimar then to 5,000 feet to Orange. For unknown reason, the crew started the descent prematurely and in marginal weather conditions, the airplane stuck the slope of Mt Suc de Pradou (1,342 meters high) located about 3 km southeast of Mézilhac. The wreckage was found about 200 meters below the summit and all 21 occupants have been killed.
Crew:
Lt Pierre Chaintreau,
Adj/C Jean-Michel Reig,
Adj/C Jacques Deville,
Adj Alain Gaudy,
Sgt/C Claude Touzeau,
Sgt/C Jean-Pierre Boutin,
Off Alain Giblan,
Sdt Bertrand Courbier.
Passengers:
Amiral Robert Landrin,
Gen Édouard Billion,
Gen Jean-Marc Pineau,
Col Charles Birckel,
Col Alain Rolland de Chambaudoin d’Erceville,
Cpt André Bouteiller,
Jean Gaume, engineer,
Paul Johann, engineer,
Jean Labussière, engineer,
Hubert Lefèbvre de Laboulaye, engineer,
Jacques Mabile, engineer,
François Ronteix, engineer,
Georges Tirole, engineer.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the crew may misunderstood and mixed both altitude clearances of 8,000 feet till Montélimar and 5,000 feet till Orange, descending prematurely. In consequence, the accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Morane-Saulnier M.S.760 Paris IR in Loges-en-Josas

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Morane-Saulnier M.S.760 Paris
Operator:
Registration:
37/F-RABZ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Vélizy-Villacoublay - Vélizy-Villacoublay
MSN:
37
YOM:
1959
Location:
Vélizy-Villacoublay
Yvelines
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training mission at Vélizy-Villacoublay Airbase when the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Loges-en-Josas, some 4 km west of the airfield. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Beechcraft E18 in Perpignan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft E18
Operator:
GLAM - Groupe de Liaisons Aériennes Ministérielles
Registration:
F-RAEY
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Perpignan - Villacoublay
MSN:
BA-83
YOM:
1955
Location:
Perpignan-Rivesaltes
Pyrénées-Orientales
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Perpignan-Rivesaltes Airport, while climbing in heavy rain falls, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed near the airport. All three crew members were killed. They were performing a positioning flight to Vélizy-Villacoublay Airport near Paris.
Crew:
Lt Roger Creach,
Adj Yves Plancon,
Adj Daniel Colomb.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by an engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of a Morane-Saulnier M.S.760 Paris in Paris I in Bernay-Vilbert: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1962
Type of aircraft:
Morane-Saulnier M.S.760 Paris
Operator:
Registration:
20/F-RABQ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Melun-Villaroche – Vélizy-Villacoulbay
MSN:
20
YOM:
1958
Location:
Bernay-Vilbert
Seine-et-Marne
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Few minutes after its takeoff from Melun-Villaroche Airport, the twin jet went out of control and crashed in a field located in Bernay-Vilbert, some 20 km northeast of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Gen Motte,
Lt Col Chauve,
1st Cl Brun.

Crash of a SNCAC NC.211 Cormoran in Vélizy-Villacoublay: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1948
Type of aircraft:
SNCAC NC.211 Cormoran
Operator:
SNCAC - Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre
Registration:
F-WFKH
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Toussus-le-Noble – Vélizy-Villacoublay
MSN:
01
YOM:
1948
Location:
Vélizy-Villacoublay
Yvelines
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
4000
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a test flight on this first prototype and was completing a short flight from Toussus-le-Noble to his main base in Vélizy-Villacoublay. On final approach, at an altitude of 250 meters, the four engine aircraft nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion in the wood of Verrières located less than two km from the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Louis Bertrand, pilot,
Abel Nicolle, flight engineer,
Robert Facomprez, radio operator,
Maurice Itasse, mechanic,
Marcel Constum, mechanic.
Probable cause:
The hypothesis of a false maneuver made by a highly skilled crew was excluded, as well as any act of sabotage or inadvertent movement of the 1,5 ton of ballast present in the cargo compartment. In all likelihood, the loss of control was caused by an excessive deployment of flaps. During the final approach, the crew selected flaps down activating the electric flaps control systems. For unknown reason, the flaps deployed to an excessive angle of 40°, causing the plane to stall and to crash.

Crash of a Douglas A-26 Invader in Chelles-le-Pin

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-26 Invader
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Vélizy-Villacoublay – Blida
Location:
Chelles-le-Pin
Seine-et-Marne
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Vélizy-Villacoublay, an engine caught fire. The captain elected to return but was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a field located near the aerodrome of Chelles-le-Pin. The aircraft belly landed and came to rest in flames. All 15 occupants, most of them women and children flying back to Algeria, were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine fire.

Crash of a Siebel Si-204 in Bény: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1946 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Siebel Si-204
Operator:
GLAM - Groupe de Liaisons Aériennes Ministérielles
Registration:
27
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Villacoublay – Marseille
Location:
Bény
Ain
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was performing a flight from Vélizy-Villacoublay to Marseille with three passengers and a pilot. En route, the crew encountered poor weather with severe icing conditions. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Les Moulins des Ponts, near Bény, some 18 km north of Bourg-en-Bresse. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Maryse Hilsz, famous French aviation pilot and pioneer.
Passengers:
Lt Paul Rousset,
Lt Paul Bétou,
Lt Georges Merlin.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the flight controls were blocked due to severe icing conditions.
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