Country
code

Bouches-du-Rhône

Crash of a Canadair CL-215-1A10 in Marseille: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1983
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBBR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Marseille - Marseille
MSN:
1001
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
Pélican 01
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a fire fighting mission in Marseille. While flying at low height, the water bomber plane struck a tree and crashed in a wooded area located in the Marseilleveyre Mountain Range near the district of Pointe-Rouge, south of Marseille. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.
Crew:
Yves Kohler, pilot,
Georges Berujeau, mechanic.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo near Aix-en-Provence

Date & Time: Aug 16, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBAA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marseille - Marseille
MSN:
31-197
YOM:
1968
Flight number:
Bengal 66
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed Marseille-Marignane under call sign Bengal 66 for a local training flight. While cruising over Aix-en-Provence / Les Milles, an engine failed. The crew reduced his altitude and completed an emergency landing on a plateau. While both occupants escaped uninjured, the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight for undetermined reasons.

Crash of an Aérospatiale SN.601 Corvette near Istres: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1971
Operator:
Registration:
F-WRSN
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Istres - Istres
MSN:
01
YOM:
1970
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Istres-Le Tubé AFB for a local test flight consisting of stall manoeuvres. While cruising at an altitude of 2,000 feet with gears and flaps down, control was lost. The airplane stalled, entered a dive and crashed in a field. All three occupants were killed.

Crash of a Sud-Est Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N in Marseille

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1969 at 1436 LT
Operator:
Registration:
I-DABF
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Rome – Marseille
MSN:
179
YOM:
1965
Flight number:
AZ342
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
37
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
5000
Captain / Total hours on type:
4193.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
4100
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1500
Aircraft flight hours:
11848
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Rome-Fiumicino, the crew started the approach to runway 32 at Marseille-Marignane Airport and calculated the approach speed to be 120 knots. Following a wrong approach configuration and several errors, the crew continued the approach at a speed of 183 knots, causing the aircraft to land too far down the runway, nose gear first. Upon touchdown, the captain released the tailchute that burst immediately due to high speed. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran and eventually crashed in the Etang de Berre. The wreckage sank by a depth of four meter and all 44 occupants were quickly rescued, four of them were injured.
Photo via https://www.azfleet.info/
Probable cause:
The committee believes that the accident resulted initially from an incorrect procedure for the approach, bringing the plane in contact with the runway at abnormally high speed (more than 60 knots over the normal speed calculated and known by the pilot). This situation was further aggravated by the release of the parachute at an excessive speed and due to an inappropriate use of the emergency brake.
Final Report:

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Marseille: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-ZBAQ
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marseille - Marseille
MSN:
1684
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
Pélican Blanc
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at Marseille-Marignane with scoping manoeuvres under call sign 'Pélican Blanc'. Upon landing, the airplane nosed down, plunged into the sea and partially sank. A crew member was killed while three others were rescued. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-74 Globemaster I in Marseille: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1963
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
HP-385
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Copenhagen – Marseille – Cairo – Jeddah
MSN:
13915
YOM:
1946
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a cargo flight from Copenhagen to Jeddah, carrying six crew members and 30 cows. After a refuelling stop at Marignane Airport, the crew was cleared for takeoff from runway 32. By night, the crew mistook the runway and started the takeoff from runway 14. During initial climb, it is believed the aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height when it struck a hill located near Gignac-la-Nerthe, about 5 km south of the airfield. The wreckage was found less than 10 meters below the summit and all six crew members and all animals were killed.

Crash of a Dassault M.D.315 Flamant at Istres AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
7
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The accident occurred in unknown circumstances by night, killing all five occupants.

Crash of a SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc off Marseille: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Toulon - Toulon
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew departed Hyères-Le Palyvestre NAS in the evening of December 1st after a distress called was received from a cargo in the Mediterranean Sea. During the night, the four engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Marseille, killing all 10 crew members.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-65-DL off La Ciotat

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
42-100502
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
18965
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an engine failure in flight, the crew decided to ditch the aircraft into the Mediterranean Sea off La Ciotat. While all occupants were rescued, the aircraft was lost.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Sud-Est SE.161 Languedoc in Marseille

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-BCUI
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
39
YOM:
1946
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
24
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
An undercarriage failed on landing. The four engine aircraft slid on its belly for several yards before coming to rest. All 31 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Gear collapse on landing.