Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux - TAI | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 23 at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the aircraft followed a straight-in path but failed to gain sufficient height. After a short course, while at an altitude of about 100 feet, the four engine aircraft struck pine trees, stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 1,050 meters past the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 9 crew members and 45 passengers were killed. Eleven passengers were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The Board considered that the accident was probably caused by the most unfavorable combination of several of the following factors:
- Failure of one or more engine,
- Wrong maneuver of the undercarriage or flaps,
- Malfunction of the control systems,
- Incident in the cockpit,
- False indication on one or more instruments,
- Wrong indication of the artificial horizon,
- Failure of the anemometer,
- Incorrect altimeter setting,
- Error in the variometer.
The reconstructed flight showed that during the first segment of climbout and during a very short critical phase, a slight increase in speed will produce a considerable decrease in rate of climb or even a slight loss of altitude. In view of the rapid sequence of cockpit operations during this phase, together with the rapid variation in flight parameters, and the lack of precision - even inaccuracy - of readings of certain instruments, and lacking time reference and external visual references, a pilot may follow a line of flight that will bring the aircraft back near the ground if, during this period, optimum climbing speed is not maintained and the altimeter is not carefully watched.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-6B near Cairo: 52 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1956 at 0345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-6

Operator:

Registration:

F-BGOD

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Saigon – Calcutta – Karachi – Bahrain – Cairo – Paris

MSN:

43835

YOM:

1953

Location:

Cairo

Country:

Egypt

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Saigon to Paris, France and had left Karachi for Cairo on 19 February at 1715 hours Greenwich Mean Time with 9 crew and 55 passengers aboard. The flight was routine until 0230 hours (20 February) when the aircraft reported to Cairo Air Traffic Control that it had passed Suez (60 miles east of Cairo) at 0224 at a flight level of 8 500 feet, flying VFR and was descending. At 0240 it reported the Cairo aerodrome in sight and being 15 miles out, was granted an authorization for a VFR approach and at the same time was given the QFE and QNH, 29.42 and 29.73 respectively. Contact was established with Cairo approach and the aircraft requested and received landing instructions oh 118.5 megacycles and was asked to call down wind. This message was acknowledged and was the last heard from the flight. Several attempts to contact the aircraft on all available frequencies were made but were unsuccessful. At 0450 hours the wreckage was sighted 18 miles southeast of the aerodrome. Only 6 crew members and 6 passengers survived.

Probable cause:

The accident was due to the failure of the pilot-in-command to monitor the co-pilot during a direct approach procedure and the reliance of the latter on his instruments exclusively to fix his position relative to the runway at an altitude below the minimum safe altitude. The factor of crew member fatigue can- not be ruled out

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster in Antananarivo

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

F-BDRI

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Antananarivo - Paris

MSN:

3079

YOM:

1943

Location:

Antananarivo-Arivonimamo

Antananarivo Province

Country:

Madagascar

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances shortly after takeoff from Antananarivo-Arivonimamo Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster near Bangui: 46 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1950 at 1937 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

F-BELB

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Paris – Bangui – Dar es-Salaam

MSN:

3084

YOM:

1943

Location:

Bangui

Ombella-M'Poko

Country:

Central African Republic

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Four minutes after its takeoff from Bangui Airport, while climbing by night, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of a hill located about 16 km south of Bangui. Three crew members and seven passengers were seriously injured while 46 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The crew decided to perform the takeoff procedure by night without knowing properly the departure procedures and the topography in the vicinity of the aerodrome. It was reported that the Chief of the Aerodrome informed the pilot prior to departure about the presence of hills in the surroundings. For unknown reason, the pilot continued the initial climb at an insufficient altitude and initiated the first turn prematurely, causing the aircraft to hit the ground. The following factors were considered as contributory:
- lack of familiarity on behalf of the flying crew,
- poor visibility caused by night,
- incomplete flight chart for the Bangui area.

Final Report:

Crash of an AAC.1 Toucan on Mt Ventoux

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1947 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Amiot AAC.1 Toucan

Operator:

Registration:

F-BBYK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Marseille – Lyon – Paris

MSN:

231

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine aircraft left Marseille-Marignane Airport at 1340LT on a cargo flight to Paris with an intermediate stop in Lyon. About one hour and twenty minutes into the flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility due to heavy snow falls. The aircraft hit with its undercarriage the south slope of Mt Ventoux located northeast of Carpentras, and came to rest in 1,5 meter of snow. The crew was slightly injured and rescued a day later while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It is reported that the aircraft was flying at the altitude of 1,800 meters at the time of the accident (Mt Ventoux is 1,911 meters high) and the pilot was probably following a wrong corridor.