Gironde | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shortly after its takeoff from Bordeaux-Léognan-Saucats Aerodrome, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a field. All three occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was written off. The airplane was owned by Thomas Hutton Marshall.

Crash of a Douglas DC-7C in Bordeaux: 54 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1959 at 2324 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-7

Operator:

Registration:

F-BIAP

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Paris – Bordeaux – Bamako – Abidjan

MSN:

45366

YOM:

1957

Flight number:

TAI307

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

11704

Captain / Total hours on type:

479.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

10829

Copilot / Total hours on type:

312

Aircraft flight hours:

5844

Circumstances:

Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 23 at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the aircraft followed a straight-in path but failed to gain sufficient height. After a short course, while at an altitude of about 100 feet, the four engine aircraft struck pine trees, stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 1,050 meters past the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 9 crew members and 45 passengers were killed. Eleven passengers were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The Board considered that the accident was probably caused by the most unfavorable combination of several of the following factors:
- Failure of one or more engine,
- Wrong maneuver of the undercarriage or flaps,
- Malfunction of the control systems,
- Incident in the cockpit,
- False indication on one or more instruments,
- Wrong indication of the artificial horizon,
- Failure of the anemometer,
- Incorrect altimeter setting,
- Error in the variometer.
The reconstructed flight showed that during the first segment of climbout and during a very short critical phase, a slight increase in speed will produce a considerable decrease in rate of climb or even a slight loss of altitude. In view of the rapid sequence of cockpit operations during this phase, together with the rapid variation in flight parameters, and the lack of precision - even inaccuracy - of readings of certain instruments, and lacking time reference and external visual references, a pilot may follow a line of flight that will bring the aircraft back near the ground if, during this period, optimum climbing speed is not maintained and the altimeter is not carefully watched.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-50-DL in Bordeaux

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1955

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

F-BCYU

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Pau – Bordeaux

MSN:

10151

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

10898

Circumstances:

On approach to Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog. On final, the airplane was too low and hit the ground few hundred yards short of runway. All three crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Serge Ponsot, pilot,
Yves Rolland, radio operator,
Maurice Yrissou, mechanic.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-5-DC Skymaster in Bordeaux: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1953 at 1028 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

F-BFGR

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Abidjan – Conakry – Dakar – Casablanca – Bordeaux – Paris

MSN:

10290

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6878

Captain / Total hours on type:

1877.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

350

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

11250

Circumstances:

The final approach to Bordeaux-Mérignac was performed in foggy conditions. Due to low visibility, the flying crew did not realize that his altitude was insufficient when the four engine aircraft hit the top of pine trees, stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Eysines, north of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and nine occupants were killed, six crew members and three passengers.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the causes of the accident, listed in the chronological order of their occurrence, can be analyzed as follow:
- unfortunate initiative by the tower controller and a misjudgment by the pilot-in-command leading to an attempt to land in insufficient visibility,
- use of an attention-grabbing procedure by an excess of means for guiding in plan to the detriment of altitude safety,
- a probable wrong altimeter setting,
- wrong interpretation of the altitude vertical to the outer marker.
The fatigue of the flying crew resulting from an excessive period of duty and the discomfort caused by the presence in the cockpit of two additional crew members under training may have contributed to the occurrence.

Final Report:

Crash of a Vickers 639 Viking 1 in Bordeaux

Date & Time: May 8, 1951 at 1412 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viking

Operator:

Registration:

G-AHPD

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Gibraltar – Bordeaux – Bovingdon

MSN:

134

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

At 1610LT, the aircraft took off for Bovingdon, UK, while on a regular schedule flight from Gibraltar. On throttling down to initial climbing speed, at a height of 50 meters the pilot noted that the speed of the port engine was rapidly decreasing. He shut off this engine and feathered the propeller, opening the starboard engine full out. He then became aware that the aircraft could not maintain its safety speed without losing height and decided to make a wheels up landing on an open space south of the aerodrome. The aircraft slid along the ground for about 100 meters, slewed around and came to a standstill. The copilot was injured, however, the remaining four crew members and twenty-six passengers were unharmed.

Probable cause:

The disconnecting of the articulated control rod of the propeller governor due to the lack of a split pin on the governor spindle and to the nut of the ball-joint of the control spindle having been unscrewed by force.

Final Report:

Crash of a Latécoère 631 off Le Cap Ferret: 12 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1950 at 1730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Latécoère 631

Operator:

Société d'Exploitation du Matériel Aéronautique Français (SEMAF)

Registration:

F-WANU

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Biscarosse - Biscarosse

MSN:

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

1001

Circumstances:

The crew (engineers and pilots) were engaged in a test flight on this third prototype consisting of controls in flight following severe vibrations on the engines. While cruising at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the six engines seaplane lost a part on the right wing, went out of control and crashed into the sea about one km northwest of Le Cap Ferret. The crew of a trawler and a French Marine boat found some debris floating on water but unfortunately, all 12 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Robert Boissard, Chief Pilot,
Mr. Dumonteil, mechanic,
Kléber Coulé, mechanic,
Henri Faugère, mechanic,
Alexandre Lepêcheur, radio operator,
Mr. Renaud, technical director,
Mr. Remaury, technician,
Adj Grezel,
Mr. Malpot, engineer,
Mr. Bouchery, techincal director,
Mr. Martin, engineer,
Mr. Brolin, engineer.

Probable cause:

The inquiry came to the conclusion that the probable cause of the accident was a fatigue failure of the aileron control couplings resulting from the simultaneous occurrence of several vibratory phenomena: the cruising speed of the propeller with a 7/16 reducing gear in resonance with the critical vibratory frequencies of the wing and the aileron (excitation amplified by the propeller cuffs); and the occurrence of extreme aileron flutter, aerodynamically induced as a result of failure of the linkage between the aileron and the slat. In such conditions, it was impossible for the crew to detect these phenomena before their results became irreparable.

Final Report:

Crash of an AAC.1 Toucan in Bordeaux: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1946 at 0120 LT

Type of aircraft:

AAC.1 Toucan

Operator:

Registration:

F-BANP

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Pau – Bordeaux – Paris

MSN:

150

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the crew was unable to locate the airfield due to low visibility caused by night and foggy conditions. While flying at a too low altitude, the three engine aircraft hit with a wing the top of a church located in Le Bouscat and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed. There were no casualties on the ground.
Crew:
Jean Perrin, pilot,
Hippolyte Le Coroller, radio navigator,
René Morin, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

Too low approach in foggy conditions.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Saint-Antoine-sur-l'Isle: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1511

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

Saint-Antoine-sur-l'Isle

Gironde

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2200LT on October 10 on an operation to Bordeaux. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Saint-Antoine-sur-l'Isle. The observer was killed and five other crew members parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt V. G. Haley, pilot,
Sgt Horace Hill Judge, observer, †
Sgt William Johnson Bowhill,
Sgt Peter Llewellyn Jones,
Sgt Alexander Richard Langley,
Sgt Duncan McDiarmid.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 in Bordeaux: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

8227

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane suffered an engine failure shortly after takeoff from Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport. The pilot elected to return for an emergency landing when he lost control of the airplane that crashed near the airport. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Aloys Hessling, pilot,
Gefr Werner Pietsch, observer,
Uffz Georg Pauser, radio operator,
Gefr Robert Neuer, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine failure shortly after takeoff.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Le Verdon-sur-Mer: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

X2983

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saint Eval -Saint Eval

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval to lay mines in the Garonne Estuary north of Bordeaux. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Le Verdon-sur-Mer. Both pilots were killed while both other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Peter George Tunstall, pilot, †
Sgt John Bell Barclay, pilot, †
Sgt Benjamin Dixon, radio operator,
Sgt Fred Cain. Bailey, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

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