Caudron C.630/C.635 Simoun

The pilot departed Mont-de-Marsan on a local solo training flight. On final approach, the airplane collided with a North American 57 that was trying to land on the same runway. The propeller of the Simoun impacted the horizontal stabilizer of the NA 57, overturned and crashed. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
S/Lt Panthene, pilot.

En route from Avord to Istres to transfer the squadron, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy snow falls. Apparently lost, the crew decided to attempt an emergency landing when the aircraft belly landed in a snow covered field. Both pilots were uninjured.

The pilot was completing a local solo training flight at Royan-Médis Airport. After a tour of the airfield at an altitude of 200-300 metres, the pilot initiated a turn to join the runway when the airplane stalled and crashed in a field. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and the pilot was killed.
Crew:
Sgt/C Paul Perrier, pilot.

The pilot took off from Vélizy-Villacoublay Airport almost simultaneously with a French Air Force Lioré 451. While in initial climb, the Simoun that was positioned to the left of the Lioré, collided the Lioré with its right wing. Out of control, the Simoun entered a dive and crashed on a farm adjacent to the Montcel Castle in Jouy-en-Josas. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Crew:
Adj/C Georges Marcillac, pilot.

The crew was performing a mail flight from Antananarivo to Ihosy with an intermediate stop in Morondava. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the engine failed. Following a distance of 1,500 metres, the aircraft stalled, hit a tree and crashed in a field. The pilot was killed and the flight engineer was injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Jacques Ringel, pilot,
Roland Chollet, flight engineer.

The crew was performing a flight from New York to Punta Arenas, south Chile. While taking off from Guatemala City Airport, the aircraft was unable to gain height, stalled and crashed in a field past the runway end. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, pilot,
André Prévot, pilot.

Following an uneventful cargo flight from Toulouse-Montaudran Airport, the crew completed the approach to Paris-Le Bourget in limited visibility due to fog. The airplane landed hard, went out of control and came to rest upside down. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew was taking part to an air race from Antananarivo to Paris to establish a new record. The single engine aircraft departed Antananarivo on June 24 at 1900LT. While flying at night over Zanzibar, the aircraft went out of control and crashed on the south coast of the island. Both occupants were killed. It is believed that an explosion occurred before the aircraft crashed.
Crew:
Philippe Tréchot, pilot,
M. Monteil, pilot.

The pilot André Japy was trying to establish a new record on a flight from France to Japan. On the leg from Hong Kong to Tokyo, while approaching Fukuoka, he encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm and turbulences. The airplane went out of control and crashed on the slope of Mt Sefuri (1,054 metres high). The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was seriously injured.

The Caudron C.630 Simoun with s/n 7042 was ordered in July 1935, built and delivered to its owner Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in September 1935. After several trips to Africa, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry decided at the end of December to fly from Paris to Saigon to establish a new record. After 19 hours and 38 minutes of flight, while cruising at night between Benghazi and Cairo, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. The crew decided first to climb to 2,500 metres but cumulus were still there so he reduced his altitude to 1,000 metres then 400 metres and lower until the aircraft struck the top of a sandy plateau. Upon touchdown, the airplane lost its undercarriage and slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest in a desert area located some 20 km north of Wadi El Natrun. Both occupants were uninjured but walked away for four days before being rescued by locals. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.