Country
France
code

Ardèche

Crash of a Grumman S2F-1 Tracker in Valgorge: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 2005 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Grumman S-2 Tracker
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBFE
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Fire fighting
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Marseille - Marseille
MSN:
32
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
Pélican 17
Location:
Valgorge
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
3400
Copilot / Total flying hours:
5300
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Marseille-Marignane and was dispatched in an area west of Aubenas to fight a forest fire with one other Tracker, one De Havilland DHC-8 and two Canadair CL-415. After a first Tracker successfully dropped its retardant, the second Tracker approached the area when it collided with hilly terrain and crashed, bursting into flames. Both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Régis Huillier, pilot,
Albert Pouzoulet, pilot.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130A-6-LM Hercules in Burzet: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 2000 at 0903 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
N116TG
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Fire fighting
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Marseille - Aubenas - Marseille
MSN:
3086
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
Tanker 82
Location:
Burzet
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
In the early morning, the four engine aircraft departed Marseille-Marignane on a positioning flight to Aubenas-Vals-Lanas Airport, Ardeche, where the crew was briefed about a forest fire in the region of Burzet, some 15 km northwest of Aubenas. The aircraft departed Aubenas with two Canadair CL-415 and was dispatched to the area on fire under callsign 'Tanker 82'. A first drop was completed successfully and while completing a second low pass, the aircraft struck trees and crashed on hilly terrain. Two crew members were seriously injured while two others were killed.
Crew:
Ted Hobard, pilot,
Paul Trinque, copilot, †
Jo WILLIAMS, navigator, †
Ted MEYER, mechanic.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain near Saint-Agrève: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1980
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Operator:
Mooney Aviation
Registration:
G-CTHS
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Saint-Tropez-La Môle - Helfpenny Green
MSN:
31-7952100
YOM:
1979
Location:
Saint-Agrève
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed Saint Tropez-La Môle Airport on a ferry flight to Halfpenny Green, Staffordshire. While cruising over the region of Valence, Drôme, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a pasture located near Saint-Agrève. Both occupants were killed.

Crash of a Lockheed L-382E-16C Hercules in Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 5, 1980 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Kuwait Air Force
Registration:
KAF317
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
London - Athens - Kuwait City
MSN:
4350
YOM:
1969
Location:
Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed London on a flight to Kuwait City with an intermediate stop in Athens. While cruising vertical to Montélimar, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulences. Control was lost and the airplane entered a dive before crashing on a hill located near Saint-Vincent-de-Barrès, about 12 km northwest of Montélimar. Debris were found on a wide area and all eight occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the loss of control was the consequence of in-flight turbulences while cruising in a thunderstorm area. The assumption that the aircraft may have been struck by lightning was not ruled out. Severe turbulences also may cause the aircraft to suffer a structural failure.

Crash of a Nord 262A-34 near Mézilhac: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1971 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Nord 262
Operator:
Registration:
44/F-RBOA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Vélizy-Villacoublay - Orange
MSN:
44
YOM:
1968
Location:
Mézilhac
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Vélizy-Villacoublay Air Base on a special flight to Orange AFB, carrying six officers, seven engineers of the CEA - Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (Central commission for nuclear energy) and a crew of eight who were scheduled to conduct an inspection of the nuclear center of Pierrelatte. The pilot was cleared by Marseille ATC to descent to 8,000 feet until Montélimar then to 5,000 feet to Orange. For unknown reason, the crew started the descent prematurely and in marginal weather conditions, the airplane stuck the slope of Mt Suc de Pradou (1,342 meters high) located about 3 km southeast of Mézilhac. The wreckage was found about 200 meters below the summit and all 21 occupants have been killed.
Crew:
Lt Pierre Chaintreau,
Adj/C Jean-Michel Reig,
Adj/C Jacques Deville,
Adj Alain Gaudy,
Sgt/C Claude Touzeau,
Sgt/C Jean-Pierre Boutin,
Off Alain Giblan,
Sdt Bertrand Courbier.
Passengers:
Amiral Robert Landrin,
Gen Édouard Billion,
Gen Jean-Marc Pineau,
Col Charles Birckel,
Col Alain Rolland de Chambaudoin d’Erceville,
Cpt André Bouteiller,
Jean Gaume, engineer,
Paul Johann, engineer,
Jean Labussière, engineer,
Hubert Lefèbvre de Laboulaye, engineer,
Jacques Mabile, engineer,
François Ronteix, engineer,
Georges Tirole, engineer.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the crew may misunderstood and mixed both altitude clearances of 8,000 feet till Montélimar and 5,000 feet till Orange, descending prematurely. In consequence, the accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Nord 1402 Noroit in Saint-Bauzile: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1952 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Nord 1402 Noroit
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZJYB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Marseille – Melun
MSN:
14
Location:
Saint-Bauzile
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While cruising in low visibility due to foggy conditions, the seaplane hit the slope of a mountain located in the Coirons Mountain Range, near Saint-Bauzile. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Charles Deschamps, pilot,
Marcel Laurière, flight engineer,
Emmanuel Marot, mechanic,
Alfred Sohn, mechanic,
Jean-Marie Legall, radio operator.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 in Saint-Bauzile: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 13, 1948 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.104 Dove
Operator:
Registration:
G-AJOU
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Croydon – Paris – Cannes
MSN:
4058
YOM:
1947
Location:
Saint-Bauzile
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft left Croydon in the early afternoon for Paris with eight passengers and a crew of two. Six passengers disembarked in Paris and the aircraft took off around 1530LT bound for Cannes. About two hours into the flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain, turbulence and strong winds. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in a wooded area located on Mt Le Coran, near Saint-Bauzile, about 9 km southeast of Privas. A local farmer was quickly on the scene but all four occupants were killed. Rescue teams arrived the next morning.
Crew:
Peter Townsend, pilot,
Arthur Frederick Freeman, radio operator.
Passengers:
Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam,
Kathleen Kennedy-Cavendish, young sister of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Crash of a Martin B-26C-45-MO Marauder in Mélas: 20 killed

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1945 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
42-107777
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Humanitarian
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Lyon - Algiers
Location:
Mélas
Ardèche
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Lyon-Bron Airfield in the early morning on an air bridge to Algiers. While flying over the Coirons mountain range at an altitude of 3,000 meters, the crew encountered technical problems with the right engine. The aircraft lost height and eventually stalled before crashing in a huge explosion in Mélas. All 20 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Jacques Saiget, pilot,
Sgt René André Richard, copilot,
Lt Claude Victor Bit, navigator,
Sgt Marc André Emery, radio operator,
Sgt Gabriel Martinet, flight engineer.
Passengers:
Abade Ben Mohamed,
Mohamed Adil,
Bagled,
Jacob Ben Illouz,
Georges Fouyaux,
Antoine Giauguliano,
Biali Hassen,
Hubert Hermandez,
Louis André Lathuillère,
Ahmed Mimoni,
Mohamed Ben Mohamed,
Maurice Paya,
Lons Solers,
Mohamed Taleb,
Amer Zaza.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine.
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