Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux - TAI

Douglas DC-7

Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 23 at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, the aircraft followed a straight-in path but failed to gain sufficient height. After a short course, while at an altitude of about 100 feet, the four engine aircraft struck pine trees, stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 1,050 meters past the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 9 crew members and 45 passengers were killed. Eleven passengers were seriously injured.

Douglas DC-6

The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Saigon to Paris, France and had left Karachi for Cairo on 19 February at 1715 hours Greenwich Mean Time with 9 crew and 55 passengers aboard. The flight was routine until 0230 hours (20 February) when the aircraft reported to Cairo Air Traffic Control that it had passed Suez (60 miles east of Cairo) at 0224 at a flight level of 8 500 feet, flying VFR and was descending. At 0240 it reported the Cairo aerodrome in sight and being 15 miles out, was granted an authorization for a VFR approach and at the same time was given the QFE and QNH, 29.42 and 29.73 respectively. Contact was established with Cairo approach and the aircraft requested and received landing instructions oh 118.5 megacycles and was asked to call down wind. This message was acknowledged and was the last heard from the flight. Several attempts to contact the aircraft on all available frequencies were made but were unsuccessful. At 0450 hours the wreckage was sighted 18 miles southeast of the aerodrome. Only 6 crew members and 6 passengers survived.

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Crashed in unknown circumstances shortly after takeoff from Antananarivo-Arivonimamo Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Four minutes after its takeoff from Bangui Airport, while climbing by night, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of a hill located about 16 km south of Bangui. Three crew members and seven passengers were seriously injured while 46 other occupants were killed.

AAC.1 Toucan

The three engine aircraft left Marseille-Marignane Airport at 1340LT on a cargo flight to Paris with an intermediate stop in Lyon. About one hour and twenty minutes into the flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility due to heavy snow falls. The aircraft hit with its undercarriage the south slope of Mt Ventoux located northeast of Carpentras, and came to rest in 1,5 meter of snow. The crew was slightly injured and rescued a day later while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It is reported that the aircraft was flying at the altitude of 1,800 meters at the time of the accident (Mt Ventoux is 1,911 meters high) and the pilot was probably following a wrong corridor.