Toulouse - Toulouse

On December 17, 2003 at 10:35 AM, Toulouse - Toulouse experienced a crash involving Casa-Nurtanio CN-235 (IPTN), operated by French Air Force - Armée de l'Air, with the event recorded near Pic du Pioulou Ariège.

The flight was categorized as skydiving / paratroopers and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

7 people were known to be on board, 7 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 3, passenger fatalities: 3, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Based at Creil AFB (BA110), the aircraft was dispatched at Toulouse-Francazal AFB on December 15 for a period of three days to conduct local missions with paratroopers. Undel callsign Cotam 1492, the aircraft departed Toulouse-Francazal Airport at 0952LT with 12 paratroopers and four crew members on board on behalf of the Escadron de Transport 01.062 Vercors. At 1017LT, while approaching the drop zone of Tour du Crieu at an altitude of 12,000 feet, nine skydivers left the cabin. Then the captain informed ground he want to conduct a low flight over the Pyrenees mountains for a period of 10-15 minutes before returning to the base. At 1025LT, the aircraft entered the Ariege valley between Foix and Tarascon then the Vicdessos valley. Approaching Suc-et-Sentenac at 1034LT, the aircraft turn to the right and started to climb to pass over the Pic du Pioulou. The climb was started at an altitude of 3,700 feet (600 feet above ground) with a rate of climb of 3,000 feet per minute and a speed of 170 knots. Due pass the Pic du Pioulou (7,200 feet high), the aircraft should climb at least 3,500 feet on a distance of 4,500 metres with an average slope of 23,4% which is over the aircraft capabilities. While climbing with a speed of 100 knots, the stick shaker activated and the stall warning sounded. The speed continued to drop and the aircraft nosed up, reaching an angle of attack of 55°. At a speed of 55 knots, the aircraft stalled, rolled to the left and crashed on the slope of the Pic du Pioulou at an altitude of 1,830 metres. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all seven occupants (four crew members and three paratroopers) were killed. Crew: Cpt Charles Edouard Bardinet, Asp Mallory Bernard, Adj David Roux, Adj/C Serge Kaczala, Cap/C Mickael Larivière, Cap/C Jérôme Garcia, Cpt Aude Tessier.

Aircraft reference details include registration F-RAIA, MSN C-043, year of manufacture 1990.