Madrid – Bordeaux – Norrköping

On April 2, 1952 at 12:00 AM, Madrid – Bordeaux – Norrköping experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Fred. Olsen's Air Transport - Fred. Olsen Flyselskap, with the event recorded near Mimizan Landes.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.

28 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 28 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 22, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft was completing a charter flight from Madrid to Norrköping with an intermediate stop in Bordeaux, carrying a crew of six and 22 members of a Swedish football team. While descending to Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in poor weather conditions, a technical failure occurred on one engine. The captain realized that it was not possible to reach the airport of Bordeaux so he reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing on a beach located three km north of Mimizan. The airplane belly landed on the sand beach, slid for dozen yards and came to rest partially submerged. All 28 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Aircraft reference details include registration LN-NAE, MSN 12372, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 44.2153°, -1.2970°.