Saigon – Kerkyra – Naples – Marseille

On April 23, 1933 at 08:00 AM, Saigon – Kerkyra – Naples – Marseille experienced a crash involving CAMS 53, operated by Air Orient, with the event recorded near Saracena Calabria.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

8 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 62.5%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 5, passenger fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. Named 'Provence', the aircraft was spotted over Castrovillari at 0740LT while cruising at a height of 2,500 metres. In a snowstorm, it lost some 1,000 metres in few seconds due to strong downdrafts. The pilot increased the engine power to gain altitude when the airplane impacted a tree located on the top of the Mt Terrione and crashed. Due to poor weather conditions, SAR operations were unable to localize the airplane and the first rescuers arrived on site five days later, on April 28. Three passengers were found seriously injured while all five other occupants, among them all three crew, were killed. Crew: André Corouge, pilot, Mr. Guillotaux, radio navigator, Mr. Leroux, mechanic.

Aircraft reference details include registration F-ALCE, MSN 29, year of manufacture 1931.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 39.7768°, 16.1565°.