French Navy

Breguet Bre.1150 Atlantic

The aircraft was returning to Djibouti City following a maritime patrol flight. While cruising north of the Gulf of Tadjourah, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and limited visibility due to heavy rain falls. At an altitude of 950 meters, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located in the Day Forest National Park located 17 km west of Tadjourah and 50 km northwest of Djibouti City. The aircraft was destroyed and all 19 occupants were killed. Crew: Ev1 Dominique Meunier, Mp Michel Blandin, Mp Michel Pacatte, Pm Dominique Py, Pm Christian Topin, Pm Jacques Tassin, Pm André Chaumont, Mtre Daniel D'Hulster, Mtre Eric Montet, Mtre Eric Maucars, Sm Laurent Faubet, Sm Pierre Pugi, Qm2 Patrick Simond, Qm2 Didier Formet, Pm Gilbert Crouilles. Passengers: Ev2 René-François Foin, Maj Bernard Jolliard, Mp Jean Marot, S/C Umberto Cirasaro.

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

The crew was completing a local training flight at Nouméa-La Tontouta consisting of touch-and-go maneuvers. After takeoff, while climbing by night, the crew initiated a turn when the four engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Kokoreta at an altitude of 1,002 meters and located 10 km east of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all seven crew members were killed. Crew: LdV Guy Celton, pilot, MP Marcel Crusson, copilot, MP Monroe Podlesnik, mechanic, 1st M Bernard Lefuraut, mechanic, 1st M Claude Wullaert, navigator, 1st M Jean Decoudu, electronics, M Paul Gavard-Pivet, mechanic.

Breguet Bre.1150 Atlantic

Following a night takeoff from Moroni-Hahaya Airport runway 02, while climbing at an altitude of 500 feet, the airplane entered a right turn when it crashed on the slope of Mt Zembadjou located about 8 km northeast of the airport, bursting into flames. All 18 occupants were killed. Crew: Lt dV Philippe Mougenot, Ens dV Jean-Yves Cistas, Ens dV Olivier de Lassus Saint-Geniès, MP Eugène Normant, PM Serge Lapp, PM Alain de Maison, PM Yves Hennequart, M Jean-Claude Montfort, M Michel Renier, M Éric Peraudeau, M Dominique Faure, M Patrick Boudouin, M Dominique Moisdon, SM François-Xavier Winterhalter, SM Patrick Rousseau, SM Jean-Louis Audren, QM Bertrand Lion, QM Éric Lourenco.

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

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.

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

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.

Breguet Bre.1150 Atlantic

Registered 43 (F-XCVX), the aircraft was engaged in a demo flight at the annual Farnborough Airshow and was carrying five officers of the flottille 22F based at Nîmes-Garons Naval Air Station, France. Following several circuits, the crew decided to make a new low pass in front of the spectators with the left engine shut down and its propeller feathered. On final, while at an altitude of 300 feet and a speed of 140 knots with the flaps down to 10°, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion on a parking located few hundred yards short of runway. Upon impact, the empennage was torn off and crashed on the roof of the staff mess of the British Air Force Aeronautical Research Center. All five crew members were killed as well one man on the ground. Crew: Cpt Jean-Yves Saint-M'Leux, OE1 G. Durand, EV C. Lemaire, QM R. Bequier, S/Maj A. Goasguen.

Breguet Bre.1150 Atlantic

The aircraft was engaged in a NATO exercise over the north of Europe. Shortly after midnight, the crew informed ground about his position. While cruising by night and limited visibility, the airplane struck the slope of Mt Prins Karls Forland at a speed of 320 km/h in a slight nose-up attitude, in the west part of Svalbard archipelago. The wreckage was spotted by the crew of a Norwegian Air Force HU-16 Albatross a day later about 500 feet below the summit. All 11 crew members were killed.

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

The crew departed Lorient-Lann Bihoué Naval Air Station on a maritime patrol flight on behalf of the 24F Group. En route, in unknown circumstances, the airplane crashed into the Iroise Sea, some 40 nautical miles off the Ar-Men lighthouse, Britain. All 13 crew members were killed. Crew: Lieutenant de Vaisseau Thaddée Tyl, pilot, Maître Guy Stivalet, pilot, Lieutenant de Vaisseau Jean-François Lucas, navigator, Enseigne de Vaisseau Jacques Guillemette, navigator, Maître Michel Maurin, navigator, Premier Maître François Connan, flight engineer, Premier Maître Raymond Couturier, flight engineer, Maître Joseph Vanteene, flight engineer, Premier Maître Léopold Claulin, electronician, Maître Bernard Gueneguan, electronician, Maître Joseph Helliott, electronician, Maître Jean-Claude Pledel, electronician, Second Maître Louis Delannoy.

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

The crew departed Bousfer Airbase in Algeria on a long distance navigation training mission to Heraklion, Greece, on behalf of the Flotille 21.F based at Nîmes-Garons NAS, France. Following an uneventful flight, the crew was approaching Heraklion Airport when an engine caught fire. Control was lost and the airplane crashed few km from the runway threshold. Four crew members were injured and nine others were killed. The civil registration of the aircraft was F-XCUR. Those killed were: OE3 Henri Schimpf, EV2 Pollard, PM Brocard, MT Le Bris, MT Henry, MT Didier, MT Aguen, SM François, SM Jégou.

Breguet Bre.1150 Atlantic

The crew departed Nîmes-Garons Airbase for a tests flight. En route, the airplane exploded in mid-air and crashed in a field located in Revel. Debris scattered on a wide area and all three crew members were killed.