Paul Tarascon

Potez 25

Both French aviators Paul Tarascon and François Coli were performing a training flight to take part of the 'Orteig' prize rewarding the first north Atlantic nonstop flight between New York and Paris, either way. The crew departed Étampes in the day for a nonstop training flight over the southwest region of Paris, passing over Chartres and Orleans before returning to Étampes. After a flight of 20 hours, while cruising by night and with a high outside temperature, both pilots doze off and did not realize the aircraft was flying too low. It impacted a tree and crashed in an open field, bursting into flames. Both crew were injured, Paul Tarascon was seriously burned. The aircraft named 'Ocean' was destroyed by a post crash fire.