Date & Time:
Mar 16, 1943 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 45 (451-459)
Operator:
Registration:
L-1027
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Birskra - Teleghma
MSN:
491
YOM:
1942
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Biskra at 0835LT to transfer two US officers to Teleghma Airbase. Passing over Batna, the airplane entered clouds and the pilot was flying about 100 metres below the surrounding mountains. While cruising 11 km northwest of Batna, the airplane impacted trees and crashed on the slope of Pic des Cèdres, in the Djebel Tuggurt. The airplane disintegrated on impact and was destroyed by a post crash fire. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Henri Aimé César Lamy, pilot,
Lt Jean Paul Alfred Duballe, navigator,
Adj/C Roland Briault, radio operator,
Adj Jean Maxime Breton, mechanic,
Sgt Gaby André Signoret, air gunner.
Passengers:
Cpt Joe Walling Boone,
Sgt Lester M. Larsen.
Crew:
Lt Henri Aimé César Lamy, pilot,
Lt Jean Paul Alfred Duballe, navigator,
Adj/C Roland Briault, radio operator,
Adj Jean Maxime Breton, mechanic,
Sgt Gaby André Signoret, air gunner.
Passengers:
Cpt Joe Walling Boone,
Sgt Lester M. Larsen.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain. It is believed that the pilot may have seen the obstacle at the last moment as the airplane impacted the mountain in a significant nose-up attitude.
