Date & Time:
Apr 26, 1943 at 2025 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 45 (451-459)
Operator:
Registration:
L-914
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Biskra - Biskra
MSN:
378
YOM:
1941
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local reconnaissance training mission. Following a night takeoff, the airplane climbed normally to a height of 20 metres then entered an excessive pitch up attitude. When reaching the height of 50 metres, the airplane stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. The radio operator was injured while four other crew members were killed.
Crew (GB 1/11):
Lt François Marie Pierre Yves Boistel d'Welles, pilot, †
Sgt/C Jean Marie Michel François Régis Joseph Guyon, pilot, †
Adj/C Joseph Eugène Tardot, instructor pilot, †
Sgt Georges François Dejean, radio operator,
Sgt Roger Georges Méranger, air gunner. †
Crew (GB 1/11):
Lt François Marie Pierre Yves Boistel d'Welles, pilot, †
Sgt/C Jean Marie Michel François Régis Joseph Guyon, pilot, †
Adj/C Joseph Eugène Tardot, instructor pilot, †
Sgt Georges François Dejean, radio operator,
Sgt Roger Georges Méranger, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Following a correct takeoff and once the height of 20 metres was reached, it is believed that the pilot, for an unknown reason (light failure, instrument problems), seems to have stopped monitoring his airspeed indicator and variometer (vertical speed indicator) closely enough, causing the airplane to adopt an excessive rate of climb and a subsequent stall and crash. At the time of the accident, the night was very dark and there were no lights on the ground or any other reference around the airfield.
