Date & Time:
Dec 29, 1935 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Caudron C.630/C.635 Simoun
Operator:
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Registration:
F-ANRY
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Paris – Tunis – Benghazi – Cairo – Saigon
MSN:
7042
YOM:
1935
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The Caudron C.630 Simoun with s/n 7042 was ordered in July 1935, built and delivered to its owner Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in September 1935. After several trips to Africa, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry decided at the end of December to fly from Paris to Saigon to establish a new record. After 19 hours and 38 minutes of flight, while cruising at night between Benghazi and Cairo, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. The crew decided first to climb to 2,500 metres but cumulus were still there so he reduced his altitude to 1,000 metres then 400 metres and lower until the aircraft struck the top of a sandy plateau. Upon touchdown, the airplane lost its undercarriage and slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest in a desert area located some 20 km north of Wadi El Natrun. Both occupants were uninjured but walked away for four days before being rescued by locals. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
