Air Orient

CAMS 53

Named 'Provence', the aircraft was spotted over Castrovillari at 0740LT while cruising at a height of 2,500 metres. In a snowstorm, it lost some 1,000 metres in few seconds due to strong downdrafts. The pilot increased the engine power to gain altitude when the airplane impacted a tree located on the top of the Mt Terrione and crashed. Due to poor weather conditions, SAR operations were unable to localize the airplane and the first rescuers arrived on site five days later, on April 28. Three passengers were found seriously injured while all five other occupants, among them all three crew, were killed. Crew: André Corouge, pilot, Mr. Guillotaux, radio navigator, Mr. Leroux, mechanic.

Farman F.303

En route from Marseille to Baghdad, while cruising at night, the crew encountered poor visibility due to a sand storm. The captain attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a desert area located some 130 km from Rutbah Wells. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all seven occupants evacuated safely.

CAMS 53

For unknown reasons, the seaplane landed hard in the Naples' harbor. The fuselage broke and water entered the cabin. All six occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft named 'Picardie' sank and was lost.

CAMS 53

While landing in Beirut's harbor, the seaplane overturned, came to rest upside down and sank. All occupants were rescued but both pilots were seriously injured, among them Cpt Jean Hennequin.

Farman F.190

En route from Damascus to Baghdad, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a sandstorm. The pilot lost his orientation when the airplane impacted ground and crashed near Tell-Farida, in the region of Rutbah Wells, some 300 km west of Baghdad. The aircraft came to rest upside down and was destroyed. All three occupants were killed. The crew and passenger were performing a special flight on behalf of The League of Nations (Société des Nations). The passenger was the Swiss Colonel de Reynier who was in charge to fix the border between Syria and Iraq. Crew: Julien Risser, pilot, Mr. Huber, mechanic. Passenger: Colonel de Reynier.

Farman F.303

En route from Baghdad to Damascus, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to attempt an emergency landing in the Syrian Desert. While all occupants were unhurt and quickly rescued, the aircraft was probably damaged beyond repair and abandoned on site.

Farman F.303

En route to Karachi, while flying near Somiani, one of the engine caught fire. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the crashed. All four occupants were slightly injured.

Fokker F7

En route from Yangon to Akyab, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a river near Akyab, Burma. All four crew members were killed. Crew: Claude Beauregard, pilot, Ange Bourgeois, pilot, Olivier Leroux, radio navigator, Pierre Patard, engineer.

Potez 32

The crew was performing a mail flight from France to Saigon. While overflying over Mawlamyine, Burma, he encountered poor weather conditions. A forced landing being impossible in this hilly area, the crew decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed while both occupants, Joseph Le Brix and Maurice Rossi, were uninjured.