Morbihan

On the morning of the day of the accident, the pilot, accompanied by a passenger, flew under IFR flight mode from La Môle (83) to Quiberon (56). The flight took 3 hours and 40 minutes and the return was scheduled in the afternoon. After landing in Quiberon, the pilot learned that there was no possibility to refuel with AVGAS, information that was not specified by NOTAM. The pilot then decided to refuel at Vannes-Meucon Airport before leaving to St Tropez-La Môle. He said he was upset by this situation and by the bad weather conditions in the area. During the pre-flight visit to Quiberon, the pilot added oil. He indicates that he also carried out a pre-flight inspection before takeoff from Vannes. During the takeoff roll from runway 22 at Vannes-Meucon Airport, the rotation took place in the first third of the runway. Just after liftoff, he saw the engine cowling open. He immediately thaught he forgot to tighten the dipstick and decided to abort the takeoff and landed on the remaining runway. The runway being long, he believed he can stop before the runway end. He put the power levers in the "full, reduced and choke" position and tried to land the plane quickly. As the aircraft already reached a high speed, it landed 200 metres short of runway end and deviated longitudinally and crossed the runway end safety area, known as RESA. It came to a stop a 100 metres further on an embankment. The left wing was partially torn off and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. There was no fire. Both occupants escaped uninjured.

Following an uneventful flight from Lyon-Satolas Airport, the crew was approaching Lorient-Lann-Bihoué Airport when he contacted ATC and requested a special clearance to cancel his IFR flight plan for a visual circuit over the Bay of Quiberon to show the 'Norway' ship (ex France) to the passengers. While cruising under VFR mode in excellent weather conditions at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the twin engine aircraft collided with a private Cessna 177 Cardinal registered F-GAJE and owned by the Aéro Club de Vannes. Following the collision, both aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the Bay of Quiberon about 1,500 metres from the ship and 10 km off Quiberon. All 14 people on board the Beech 1900D as well as the pilot of the Cessna 177 were killed.

On approach to Lorient-Lann-Bihoué NAS, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with fog. On final, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the ground and crashed few hundred yards short of runway 26 threshold. Three crew members were seriously wounded while six others were killed.
Those killed were:
Ens Valbur, pilot,
O/T Lars, copilot,
1st Mst Busson, navigator,
1st Mst Jaffré, electrician,
1st Mst Le Goff, mechanic,
2nd Mst Le Bihan, mechanic.

The airplane was engaged in a tactical exercice over the Atlantic Ocean and was carrying 12 members of the Escadrille 25F. Shortly after a night takeoff from Lorient-Lann-Bihoué Naval Air Station, while in initial climb in poor weather conditions, the airplane entered a left turn then plunged into the earth and crashed onto a small hill located in Kergantic, about 3 km southwest of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 12 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Henri Debray,
S/S Yvon Sivy,
1st Mst Michel Bioux,
1st Mst Louis Jacquemard,
1st Mst Gérard Donaghy,
1st Mst Achille Le Riblair,
1st Mst René Milewski,
1st Mst Pierre Le Guerroué,
1st Mst Roger Perrucchieti,
Mst Jacques Bigot,
Mst Jean-Pierre Frangé,
Mst Jean-Marie Frison.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1810LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Belle-Île-en-Mer. Five crew members were killed while the radio operator survived and became a PoW.
Crew:
W/O William Douglas Hartney, pilot, †
F/Sgt James Augustus Kilpatrick, observer, †
Sgt Reginald William Radford, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Edward Allison, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Langmeael Ward, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Donald Alexander Ferguson, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1859LT on an operation to Lorient. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O John Charles Young, pilot,
Sgt Douglas Eric Cardwell, mechanic,
P/O Wilfred Ronald Neville, navigator,
P/O Alexander William Stubbs, radio operator,
Sgt John Charles Woodward, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Arthur James Mason, air gunner,
Sgt Herbert Charles Ford, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh at 0900LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. After bombs were dropped, it was attack by enemy fire (German Flak and German fighters) and crashed at La Ville Dan, a hamlet located near Guillac. Seven crew members were killed and three parachuted to safety. Two evaded and one became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt William H. Warner, pilot, †
1st Lt Arnold R. Carlson, copilot, †
T/Sgt Clairborne W. Wilson, mechanic,
1st Lt Lewis H. Utley, navigator, †
T/Sgt Eddie Frank Espitallier, radio operator,
1st Lt Robert E. Kylius, bombardier,
S/Sgt Robert D. Kisling, air gunner, †
Sgt Walter C. Morgan, air gunner, †
Sgt Colin E. Neely, air gunner, †
Sgt William E. Williams, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Chelveston in the morning on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Le Favre, 25 km northeast of Vannes. Eight crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Henry M. Burman, pilot,
2nd Lt Robert Ralph Mericle, copilot, †
T/Sgt Ralph Alexander Livengood, mechanic, †
2nd Lt Dominick Nicholas Lazzaro, navigator,
T/Sgt Herbert Hemby Burnette, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Leonard Ervin Duncan, bombardier, †
S/Sgt Erban Lloyd Jones, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Howard Maughan Jones, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Carl Edwin Olson Jr., air gunner, †
Sgt Michael J. Stanko, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Chelveston at 0900LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While approaching the target area at an altitude of 17,000 feet, it was shot down by a German fighter. Ten crew members bailed out and parachuted to safety while the navigator was killed. Three evaded and seven became PoW. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed into the Étang du Grand Gournava, some 2,3 km southwest of Pleucadeuc.
Crew:
Cpt Charles James Steenbarger, pilot,
1st Lt Thomas Palmer Mayo, copilot,
1st Lt John E. Carpenter Jr., navigator, †
T/Sgt Carey Bernard Ford, mechanic,
S/Sgt Frederick J. Dewig, radio operator,
1st Lt Joe John Varhol, bomb aimer,
S/Sgt Lowell Ray Lewis, air gunner,
S/Sgt Dale Markland, air gunner,
T/Sgt Donald Ray Wall, air gunner,
S/Sgt Charles L. Gilbert, air gunner,
T/Sgt Norris Charles Miller, photographer.

The airplane departed RAF Blyton at 1730LT on an operation to Lorient. It crashed in unknown circumstances in the target area, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O John Morling Bell, pilot,
F/Sgt Harold Eunson Woodruff, navigator,
F/Sgt Elwyn Knowles Jones, observer,
F/O Robert Joseph Keyes, radio operator,
F/Lt Arthur Cowie, air gunner,
Sgt George Easey, air gunner.