Rome – Marseille

On August 2, 1969 at 02:36 PM, Rome – Marseille experienced a crash involving Sud-Aviation SE-210 Caravelle, operated by Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane, with the event recorded near Marseille-Marignane Bouches-du-Rhône.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

45 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 45 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 37, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Following an uneventful flight from Rome-Fiumicino, the crew started the approach to runway 32 at Marseille-Marignane Airport and calculated the approach speed to be 120 knots. Following a wrong approach configuration and several errors, the crew continued the approach at a speed of 183 knots, causing the aircraft to land too far down the runway, nose gear first. Upon touchdown, the captain released the tailchute that burst immediately due to high speed. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran and eventually crashed in the Etang de Berre. The wreckage sank by a depth of four meter and all 44 occupants were quickly rescued, four of them were injured. Photo via https://www.azfleet.info/

Aircraft reference details include registration I-DABF, MSN 179, year of manufacture 1965.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 43.4375°, 5.2130°.