Country
code

Morbihan

Crash of a Piper PA-46R-350T Matrix in Vannes

Date & Time: Oct 5, 2020 at 1415 LT
Registration:
N898BB
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Vannes - La Môle
MSN:
46-92057
YOM:
2008
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
845
Captain / Total hours on type:
565.00
Circumstances:
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.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft 1900D off Quiberon: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1998 at 1558 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F-GSJM
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lyon - Lorient
MSN:
UE-238
YOM:
1996
Flight number:
PRB706
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Captain / Total flying hours:
3072
Captain / Total hours on type:
1356.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1016
Copilot / Total hours on type:
361
Aircraft flight hours:
3342
Circumstances:
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.
Probable cause:
The collision was due to the absence of visual detection of the other aircraft by each of the two crews in an uncontrolled Class G Airspace where collision avoidance relies exclusively on external vigilance ("See and Avoid" rule). The decision to change the flight regime and trajectory placed the crew of the Beech 1900D in an improvised and unusual flight situation with a public transport aircraft. The following contributing factors have been identified:
- The pilots, on different frequencies, were unaware of their mutual presence,
- The pilots had their attention focused on the ship 'Norway',
- The organization of the activity in the cockpit of the Beech 1900D and its ergonomics did not allow effective monitoring, particularly towards the outside of the turn,
- The dead angles of the Cessna 177 probably masked the Beech 1900D from its pilot while both aircraft were approaching each other,
- The position of the sun may have hampered the pilot of the Cessna 177,
- The Cessna 177 transponder was off, thus the aircraft could not be viewed on the ATC radar based in Lorient. As a result, he was unable to provide traffic information to the crew of the Beech 1900D.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune at Lorient-Lann-Bihoué NAS: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
147564
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
726-7179
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
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.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune in Lorient: 12 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1970 at 0439 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
147571
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lorient - Lorient
MSN:
726-7193
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
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.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress in Lorient

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
41-9034
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
2506
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed near Lorient after being shot down. Crew fate unknown.
Probable cause:
Shot down.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Isle of Groix: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
AT158
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skellingthorpe on a mine laying operation off Lorient. It crashed into the sea off Isle of Groix, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O James Duncan Crombie, pilot,
Sgt Harry Naughton Deckman, observer,
Sgt Frank Manley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Charles Ronald Clive Perry, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Lorient: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R5493
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1950LT on a mine laying operation off Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Lyster Warren-Smith, pilot,
Sgt Richard Alfred Marston, pilot,
Sgt Clive Edward Wigram Clifford, navigator,
Sgt Alistair Fraser Murdock, navigator,
Sgt Edward Burgess Cluff, wireless operator,
Sgt John Boyd, wireless operator,
Sgt Willliam Harold Flower, air gunner,
Sgt John McNally Davidson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Lorient: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
AE400
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skellingthorpe at 0217LT on a mine laying operation off Lorient (Artichokes area). It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed in the sea off the target area. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Allan Godfrey Davidson, pilot,
Sgt Leslie Norman Follows, copilot,
Sgt William Mervyn Alastair Eeadley, wireless operator,
Sgt Gordon Shackleton, air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I off Quiberon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AW216
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
9923
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on an operation to Nantes. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the Bay of Quiberon off Quiberon. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt John Reginald Noble, pilot,
P/O Arthur John Dearden, observer,
Sgt William Robert Furzey, wireless operator,
Sgt John Francis McGee.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Pontivy

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1941 at 2046 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2565
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Boscombe Down - Boscombe Down
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Boscombe Down at 1830LT on a special signals investigation flight over France. During the course of the operation, the starboard airscrew fell off and the airplane was abandoned by the crew over Pontivy and crashed. Six crew members became PoW and another one evaded.
Crew:
P/O Leslie George Bull, pilot,
F/Sgt Norman Wallis Mackenzie, pilot,
P/O Howard Goolding Cundall, radar specialist,
P/O William Jack Grisman, observer,
Sgt John Gannon, wireless operator,
F/Sgt William George Statham, wireless operator,
Sgt Oscar Albert Sheffield, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right airscrew in flight.