Abidjan – Bobo Dioulasso – Bamako – Gao – Tamanrasset – El Golea – Algiers – Nice

On March 24, 1952 at 03:07 AM, Abidjan – Bobo Dioulasso – Bamako – Gao – Tamanrasset – El Golea – Algiers – Nice experienced a crash involving Lockheed 18 LodeStar, operated by Société Algérienne des Transports Tropicaux - SATT, with the event recorded near Gao Gao.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

21 people were known to be on board, 17 fatalities were recorded, 4 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 81.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 18, passenger fatalities: 14, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft left Abidjan on its return flight to Nice with a night stop scheduled at Tamanrasset. However, the flight was behind schedule and in view of the fact that Tamanrasset was not provided with night markings, the pilot decided to spend the night at Gao and leave the following morning at about 0900LT. He mentioned also that he was tired. Later that evening word was received from the company which caused the pilot to change his plans and decide to leave at 0300LT. On arrival at the meteorological office for preparation of the pre-flight plan, the pilot, during a conversation with the air traffic controller, complained that he was very tired and mentioned that the Gao-Nice flight would have to be made with only short stops on the way and that he had to fly in an aircraft not equipped with an automatic pilot and in which he was also required to perform the duties of navigator. He seemed to dread the take-off at night very much and went so far as to ask the controller to prohibit him from taking off. The controller could not comply with such a request, as the flight planned was normal from the regulation point of view. The aircraft took off from Gao at night at 0307LT with eighteen passengers and three crew. The take-off was normal and the aircraft rose to an altitude of about 10 meters. The navigation lights were then seen to fade gradually and to disappear in a depression beyond the runway, and shortly afterwards, flashes from a fire were seen and the alarm given. The aircraft collided with the ground after take-off completely destroying the aircraft. The wreckage was found about two km east of the airfield. Fourteen passengers and three crew were killed and four passengers injured.

Aircraft reference details include registration F-ARTE, MSN 2005, year of manufacture 1940.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 16.2788°, -0.0492°.