Date & Time:
May 10, 1961 at 0112 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-1649 Starliner
Operator:
Registration:
F-BHBM
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Brazzaville – Bangui – Fort Lamy – Marseille – Paris
MSN:
1027
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
AF406
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
69
Pax fatalities:
69
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
78
Circumstances:
While cruising by night at an altitude of 20,000 feet vertical to the Sahara Desert, the airplane disintegrated in the air and crashed in a desert area located in the east part of Algeria, at the border with Libya. The crew was unable to send any distress call. The debris were scattered on a wide area between Ghadamès (Libya) and Zarzaïtine, Algeria. All 78 occupants were killed in the crash.
Crew:
Mr. Bouchier, pilot,
Mr. Best, copilot,
Mr. Baylion, navigator,
Mr. Guntz, radio operator,
Mr. Gambart de Lignières, mechanic,
Mr. Burgaut, mechanic,
Mrs. Chiapolino, stewardess,
Mr. Eichelberger, steward,
Mr. Pasqueron, steward.
Crew:
Mr. Bouchier, pilot,
Mr. Best, copilot,
Mr. Baylion, navigator,
Mr. Guntz, radio operator,
Mr. Gambart de Lignières, mechanic,
Mr. Burgaut, mechanic,
Mrs. Chiapolino, stewardess,
Mr. Eichelberger, steward,
Mr. Pasqueron, steward.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the probable cause of the accident was an act of sabotage with the denotation of a nitrocellulose explosive device. The reasons and the authors of this act remains unknown.
