Antibes | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

On final approach to Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport, while on a positioning flight from Athens-Ellinikon Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea off Antibes. Both crew members were killed.

Crash of a Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III off Antibes: 95 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1968 at 1034 LT

Type of aircraft:

Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle

Operator:

Registration:

F-BOHB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Ajaccio - Nice

MSN:

244

YOM:

1968

Flight number:

AF1611

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

8836

Captain / Total hours on type:

2054.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

4293

Copilot / Total hours on type:

676

Aircraft flight hours:

1001

Aircraft flight cycles:

579

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Ajaccio, the crew started the descent to Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport when the pilot sent a brief mayday message, saying 'fire on board, request urgent landing'. Few second later, the airplane went into a dive and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea some 40 km off Antibes. Few debris were found on water surface and none of the 95 occupants survived the crash.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. At the beginning of the investigations, the board of inquiry reported that the following assumptions were not ruled out: pilot error, fire in the cockpit, aircraft shot down by a surface-to-air missile or the rupture of the hydraulic reservoir. Nevertheless, the aircraft totally disintegrated upon impact with the water surface as it was extremely violent, at a considerable speed and with a high rate of descent. It is believed the loss of control was the consequence of a fire that erupted in the rear part of the cabin, by the right lavatory and galley. Maybe the pilot became incapacitated by fumes but this was not confirmed. About 50 years after the accident, the French government may release some classified documents regarding this tragedy, reinforcing the assumption that the aircraft may have been shut down by a surface-to-air missile fired by the French Navy which was completing local exercises in the area at that time. In 2018, the real cause of this accident remains unclear.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier H-47 off Antibes: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 19, 1937

Type of aircraft:

Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-47

Operator:

Registration:

F-APPR

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Antibes - Antibes

MSN:

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a test flight on this first prototype. Few minutes after departure from Antibes, the float plane stalled and crashed into the sea. Five crew members were rescued and five others were killed.
Those killed were:
Lucien Bourdin, pilot, †
Robert Blouin, radio navigator, †
Marcel Juin, ATC, †
Luce Brochet, pilot, †
Charles Rayer. †

Probable cause:

It appears that the hull bottom sustained a fatigue failure after list off.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-13 off Antibes: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1929

Type of aircraft:

Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-13

Operator:

Registration:

F-AEHK

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Tunis – Antibes

MSN:

YOM:

1922

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

For unknown reason, the seaplane broke into several pieces while landing in the harbor of Antibes. Both crew members were injured and both passengers were killed.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier H-13 in the Mediterranean Sea

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1923

Type of aircraft:

Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-13

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Antibes - Ajaccio

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising over the Mediterranean Sea on a flight from Antibes to Ajaccio, the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The crew ditched the aircraft and all occupants were evacuated safely. The aircraft later sank and was lost.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-13 in Appietto: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1923

Type of aircraft:

Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-13

Operator:

Registration:

F-AEIB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ajaccio - Antibes

MSN:

YOM:

1922

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from the harbor of Ajaccio, the seaplane aircraft went out of control and crashed in a mountainous area located near Appietto, some 10 km north of Ajaccio. Three passengers and the pilot Desnoyelles were killed while the radio navigator was seriously injured and rescued.

Probable cause:

Investigators confirmed that the loss of control in flight was caused by a structural failure of the tail.