Date & Time:
Feb 25, 1940 at 2120 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 45 (451-459)
Operator:
Registration:
L-568
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Salon-de-Provence - Salon-de-Provence
MSN:
32
YOM:
1939
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Salon-de-Provence on a local night bombing exercice on the field of Quatre-Termes. After takeoff, while climbing to a height of 300-400 metres, the pilot initiated a left turn when the airplane entered stratus. Fort unknown reasons, the pilot continued to turn and completed a circle when the airplane went out of clouds at a height of 200 metres. Then the pilot attempted to regain control but the airplane slid on its left side and continued to descend at a speed of 500 km/h until it impacted the ground southeast of the airbase. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all four occupants were killed.
Crew:
S/Lt Raoul Pongnot, pilot,
Lt Gaston Denis, chief,
Cpl/C Lucien Lalloz, radio operator.
Passenger:
Lt Col Alfred d'Arnaud de Vitrolles.
Crew:
S/Lt Raoul Pongnot, pilot,
Lt Gaston Denis, chief,
Cpl/C Lucien Lalloz, radio operator.
Passenger:
Lt Col Alfred d'Arnaud de Vitrolles.
Probable cause:
Loss of control for unknown reasons.
