1952 Air France SNCASE Languedoc crash

Last updated

1952 Air France SNCASE Languedoc crash
SE.161 Languedoc LeB 1951.jpg
A SNCASE Languedoc of Air France, similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
DateMarch 3, 1952 (1952-03-03)
SummaryJammed controls, design error
Siteca 1 km N of Nice-le Var Airport
43°40′00″N7°12′28″E / 43.66667°N 7.20778°E / 43.66667; 7.20778
Aircraft
Aircraft type SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc
Operator Air France
Registration F-BCUM
Flight origin Tunis-El Aouina Airport (TUN/DTTA), Tunisia
Stopover Nice-le Var Airport (NCE/LFMN), Nice
Destination Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LBG/LFPB), Paris
Passengers34
Crew4
Fatalities38
Survivors0

The 1952 Air France SNCASE Languedoc crash occurred on 3 March 1952 when a SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc aircraft of Air France crashed on take-off from Nice Airport for Le Bourget Airport, Paris, killing all 38 people on board. The cause of the accident was that the aileron controls had jammed, which in itself was contributed to by a design fault. The accident was the third-deadliest in France at the time and is the deadliest involving the SNCASE Languedoc.

Contents

Aircraft

The accident aircraft was a SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc, msn 43, registration F-BCUM. The aircraft was powered by four 1,220-horsepower (910-kilowatt) Pratt & Whitney R-1830 SIC-3-G engines. [1]

Accident

John Emlyn-Jones John Emlyn-Jones.jpg
John Emlyn-Jones
Lise Topart [fr]. Lise Topart en 1948.jpg
Lise Topart  [ fr ].

Shortly after take-off from Nice Airport on a scheduled domestic passenger flight to Le Bourget Airport, Paris, the aircraft was seen to bank to the left, roll onto its back and crash about 1 kilometre (1,100 yd) north of the airport. All four crew and 34 passengers on board were killed. [1] The flight had originated in Tunis, Tunisia. [2] The accident was the third deadliest in France at the time and is the deadliest involving the SNCASE Languedoc. [1]

Thirteen of the victims were British, including shipowner John Emlyn-Jones and his wife. [3] Amongst the other victims were the French actresses Lise Topart  [ fr ] and Michèle Verly and the American actress and ballet dancer Harriet Toby. A Frenchwoman was initially reported to have survived the crash seriously injured, [4] but she died later in hospital, [5] bringing the total to 38 deaths. [1]

Investigation

An investigation found that the cause of the accident was that the co-pilot's aileron controls had jammed due to a chain slipping off its sprocket. The difficulty of setting and inspecting the chains in the dual control columns was cited as a contributory factor in the accident. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orly Airport</span> Secondary airport serving Paris, France

Paris Orly Airport commonly referred to as Orly, is one of two international airports serving Paris, France, the other one being Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). It is located partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, 13 km (8.1 mi) south of Paris. It serves as a secondary hub for domestic and overseas territories flights of Air France and as the homebase for Transavia France. Flights operate to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, South America and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nice Côte d'Azur Airport</span> Airport in Alpes-Maritimes, France

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport is an international airport located 3.2 NM southwest of Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. It is the third busiest airport in France and serves as a focus city for Air France and an operating base for easyJet. In 2023, it handled 14,189,965 passengers. The airport is positioned 7 km (4 mi) west of the city centre, and is the principal port of arrival for passengers to the Côte d'Azur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sud Aviation Caravelle</span> French twin-jet narrow-body airliner produced 1958–1972

The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle is a French jet airliner produced by Sud Aviation. It was developed by SNCASE in the early 1950s, and made its maiden flight on May 27, 1955. It included some de Havilland designs and components developed for the de Havilland Comet. SNCASE merged into the larger Sud Aviation conglomerate before the aircraft entered revenue service on April 26, 1959, with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS); 282 were built until production ended in 1972. It was ordered by airlines on every continent and operated until its retirement in 2005.

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1952:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris–Le Bourget Airport</span> General aviation and former commercial airport serving Paris

Paris–Le Bourget Airport is an airport located within portions of the communes of Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, Dugny and Gonesse, 6 NM north-northeast of Paris, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc</span> Type of aircraft

The SNCASE SE.161 Languedoc was a French four-engined airliner produced by SNCASE (Sud-Est). Developed from the Bloch MB.160 and known in the late 1930s as the (SNCSO) Bloch MB.161, the SE.161 was in service with Air France and the French military after World War II.

Air Union was a French airline established on 1 January 1923, as the result of a merger between the airlines Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes and Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens. Air Union was merged with four other French airlines to become Air France on 7 October 1933.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USAir Flight 427</span> Aviation accident in 1994

USAir Flight 427 was a scheduled flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, with a stopover at Pittsburgh International Airport. On Thursday, September 8, 1994, the Boeing 737 flying this route crashed in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania while approaching Runway 28R at Pittsburgh, which was USAir's largest hub at the time.

Air France has been in operation since 1933. Its aircraft have been involved in a number of major accidents and incidents. The deadliest accident of the airline occurred on June 1, 2009, when Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330-203, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 fatalities. A selected list of the most noteworthy of these events is given below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1950 Heathrow BEA Vickers Viking crash</span>

The 1950 Heathrow BEA Vickers Viking crash occurred on 31 October 1950 when a Vickers Viking operated by British European Airways (BEA) crashed at London Airport in heavy fog. The aircraft was on a scheduled flight between Paris and London's Northolt airport and 28 of the 30 passengers and crew on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1930 Air Union Farman Goliath crash</span> 1930 crash caused by tailplane structural failure

The 1930 Air Union Farman Goliath crash occurred on 10 February 1930 when a Farman F.63 Goliath of Air Union crashed whilst attempting an emergency landing at Marden Airfield, Kent following the failure of the starboard tailplane. Two of the six people on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1929 Imperial Airways Handley Page W.10 crash</span> 1929 ditching into the English Channel

The 1929 Imperial Airways Handley Page W.10 crash happened on 17 June 1929 when Handley Page W.10 G-EBMT suffered an engine failure and subsequently ditched in the English Channel off Dungeness with the loss of seven lives. The aircraft was operating an international scheduled flight from Croydon to Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 crash</span>

The 1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 Crash occurred on 11 January 1947 when Douglas C-47A G-AGJX of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) crashed into a hill at Stowting, Kent, in southeast England, killing five people outright, with a further three dying from injuries received. The aircraft had been operating a scheduled international flight to West Africa via France. Poor weather caused the aircraft to attempt to divert. After attempts to land at a number of French airports, the pilot decided to return to the United Kingdom as he was running short of fuel. The aircraft crashed while attempting to land at Lympne Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">August 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash</span>

The August 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash occurred on 27 August 1923 when a Farman F.60 Goliath of Air Union crashed at East Malling, Kent, United Kingdom following an engine failure and reported panic amongst the passengers. One person was killed and nine were injured, including celebrated French actor Jean Murat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1934 London, Scottish & Provincial Airways Airspeed Courier crash</span> 1934 crash caused by pilot error

On 29 September 1934, an Airspeed Courier of London, Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd crashed just north of Shoreham, Kent. The aircraft was on a scheduled international passenger flight from Heston Aerodrome west of London to Le Bourget Airport, Paris. All four people on board were killed. Two people were injured by flying débris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air France Flight 009</span> 1949 aviation accident

Air France Flight 009 was a scheduled international flight that crashed into a mountain while attempting to land at Santa Maria Airport, Azores on a stopover during a scheduled international passenger flight from Paris-Orly Airport to New York City. All 48 people on board were killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1951 Misrair SNCASE Languedoc crash</span>

The 1951 Misrair SNCASE Languedoc crash occurred on 22 December 1951 when a SNCASE Languedoc of Misrair crashed whilst attempting to land at Tehran Airport, Iran during a snowstorm. All 22 people on board were killed. The aircraft was operating an international scheduled passenger flight from Baghdad Airport, Iraq to Tehran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1958 Aviaco SNCASE Languedoc crash</span> Plane crash in the Guadarrama Mountains which killed 21

The 1958 Aviaco SNCASE Languedoc crash occurred on 4 December 1958 when a SNCASE Languedoc of Aviaco crashed into the La Rodilla de la Mujer Muerta mountain, in the Guadarrama Mountains, Spain, killing all 21 people on board. The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Vigo Airport to Barajas Airport, Madrid.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "F-BCUM Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  2. "BREVITIES". Flight (7 March 1952): 279.
  3. "RETURNING TOURISTS IN CRASH". The Times. No. 52251. London. 4 March 1952. col D, p. 6.
  4. "38 KILLED IN AIRLINER". The Times. No. 52251. London. 4 March 1952. col D, p. 6.
  5. "In the News: A Boat Race, a Submarine Escape Tower, U. S. Helicopters and Aircraft Accidents". Illustrated London News. London (5891): 474. 15 March 1952.