Date & Time:
Jan 30, 1948 at 1254 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-83787
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Istres - Istres
MSN:
32428
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
5
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Istres-Le Tubé Airbase in the morning to try to locate an USAF C-47 that disappeared in the region three days earlier. In fact, this C-47 registered 44-76443 crashed on the Cheval Blanc mountain, killing all 11 occupants. Around noon, the crew of the B-17 localized the wreckage of the C-47 on the east slope of the mountain and while flying to close from the terrain, the aircraft went out of control, maybe due to downdraft, and hit the north slope of the same mountain, near the village of Chanolles. The aircraft was destroyed on impact and eight of the ten occupants were killed. Two crew members, among them a pilot, survived. The pilot decided to leave the area to find help but his dead body was found in an isolated area on March 25, 1948. The only survivor, Sgt Angelo La Salle, was rescued few hours later.
Probable cause:
It is believed the accident was caused by a loss of control due to strong downdrafts while the crew was flying too close to the mountain. At the time of the accident, eight of the ten occupants were in the front of the cabin, causing the center of gravity to be modified.
