Date & Time:
Apr 1, 1935 at 0315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Farman F.306
Operator:
Registration:
F-ALHQ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Paris – Croydon
MSN:
7243.2
YOM:
1931
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 0030LT on this inaugural night cargo flight to Croydon, carrying one pilot, one radio navigator and one passenger. While cruising between the cities of Beauvais and Rouen, the pilot encountered foggy conditions. He decided to reduce his altitude and to return to Paris. Few minutes later, too low, the airplane impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located in Brémontier-Merval, some 9 km northwest of Gournay-en-Bray. All three occupants were seriously injured and the pilot died from his injuries few hours later.
Crew:
Robert Bajac, Air France Chief Pilot, †
Jean Floret, radio navigator.
Passenger:
Jean Flitcroft, Air France Chief of Operations.
Crew:
Robert Bajac, Air France Chief Pilot, †
Jean Floret, radio navigator.
Passenger:
Jean Flitcroft, Air France Chief of Operations.
Probable cause:
One year after the accident, the French commission headed by General de Goÿs concluded that the crash was not caused by a crew mistake but by the aircraft which was hard to manage and unstable in flight. This commission also said that French Authorities gave permission to Air France to still operate this aircraft despite its known technical deficiencies.
