Air France Flight 009
A Lockheed L-749A Constellation, similar to the accident aircraft.
Accident
Date28 October 1949
SummaryControlled flight into terrain due to pilot error
SitePico da Vara, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Aircraft
Aircraft typeLockheed L-749-79-46 Constellation
OperatorAir France
RegistrationF-BAZN
Flight originParis-Orly Airport, France
StopoverSanta Maria Airport, Azores, Portugal
DestinationNew York City, United States
Passengers37
Crew11
Fatalities48
Survivors0

Air France Flight 009 was a scheduled international flight that crashed into a mountain while attempting to land at Santa Maria Airport, Azores on a stopover during a scheduled international passenger flight from Paris-Orly Airport to New York City. All 48 people on board were killed.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Lockheed L-749A-79-46 Constellation F-BAZN, msn 2546, built in 1947.[1]

Accident

The aircraft was operating a scheduled international passenger flight from Paris-Orly Airport, France to New York City, with a stopover at Santa Maria Airport, Azores. There were 11 crew and 37 passengers on board.[1] The flight departed from Orly at 20:05 on 27 October.[2]

At 02:51 on 28 October, the pilot reported he was at a height of 3,000 feet (910 m) and had the airport in sight. After no further communications were received from the aircraft, a search was initiated,[1] involving eight aircraft and several ships.[2] The aircraft was found to have crashed into Pico Redondo on São Miguel Island,[1] 60 miles (97 km) (It is sometimes incorrectly said to have crashed on Pico da Vara) due north of the airport. All 48 on board were killed in the crash and subsequent fire.[2] The wreckage was spread over an area in excess of 500 square yards (420 m2). The bodies of the victims were recovered and initially taken to the church in Algarvia before they were repatriated.[3] At the time, the accident was the deadliest to have occurred in Portugal and also the deadliest involving the Lockheed Constellation.[1] A memorial to the victims was erected on Pico da Vara at 37°48′N 25°12′W / 37.800°N 25.200°W / 37.800; -25.200.[4]

Investigation

The accident was investigated by the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile.[2] The investigation found that the cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain due to inadequate navigation by the pilot whilst operating under VFR conditions. It was found that the pilot had sent inaccurate position reports and that he had failed to identify the airport.[1]

Notable casualties

Notable people killed in the accident included the French former middleweight world champion boxer Marcel Cerdan;[5] French violinist Ginette Neveu,[2][6] French artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel and Kay Kamen, a merchandising executive for the Walt Disney Company.[2]

Notes

Times quoted in this article are local time, per sources used. Paris times are thus Central European Time (CET). Azores times are Greenwich Mean Time, which is one hour behind CET.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "F-BAZN accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "French Airliner Crash". The Times. No. 51525. London. 29 October 1949. col D, p. 4.
  3. ^ "French Air-Liner Crash". The Times. No. 51526. London. 31 October 1949. col D, p. 3.
  4. ^ Chaix, Bruno. "STELE AVION AIR FRANCE PICO DA VARA" (in French). Panoramio. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  5. ^ Leibovitz, Liel (27 May 2016). "Edith Piaf's Deadly Longing". Wall Street Journal.
  6. ^ "Mlle Neveu's Body Identified". The Times. No. 51552. London. 30 November 1949. col D, p. 3.
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