Toulouse – Alicante – Casablanca – Port-Étienne – Dakar

Shortly after take off from Port-Étienne Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed near the runway end. All three occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed. The crew was completing a regular mail flight from Toulouse to Dakar.

Flight / Schedule

Toulouse – Alicante – Casablanca – Port-Étienne – Dakar

Registration

F-ARTL

MSN

2011

Year of Manufacture

1940

Operator

Air France

Date

July 2, 1942 at 12:00 AM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Postal (mail)

Flight Phase

Takeoff (climb)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Crash Location

Nouadhibou Dakhlet Nouadhibou

Region

Africa • Mauritania

Coordinates

20.9127°, -17.0503°

Narrative Report

On July 2, 1942 at 12:00 AM, Toulouse – Alicante – Casablanca – Port-Étienne – Dakar experienced a crash involving Lockheed 18 LodeStar, operated by Air France, with the event recorded near Nouadhibou Dakhlet Nouadhibou.

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

3 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

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

Shortly after take off from Port-Étienne Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed near the runway end. All three occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed. The crew was completing a regular mail flight from Toulouse to Dakar.

Aircraft reference details include registration F-ARTL, MSN 2011, year of manufacture 1940.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 20.9127°, -17.0503°.

Fatalities

Total

0

Crew

0

Passengers

0

Other

0

Crash Summary

Shortly after take off from Port-Étienne Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed near the runway end. All three occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed. The crew was completing a regular mail flight from Toulouse to Dakar.

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

3

Passengers On Board

0

Estimated Survivors

3

Fatality Rate

0.0%

Known people on board: 3

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Toulouse – Alicante – Casablanca – Port-Étienne – Dakar

Operator

Air France

Flight Type

Postal (mail)

Flight Phase

Takeoff (climb)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Region / Country

Africa • Mauritania

Aircraft Details

Registration

F-ARTL

MSN

2011

Year of Manufacture

1940

Similar Plane Crashes

October 17, 1925 at 12:00 AM1 Fatalities

Lignes Aériennes Latécoère

Breguet 14

The pilot Guy Martin des Pallières was performing a mail flight between South America and France. While cruising over Port Etienne (Nouadhibou), Mauritania, he suffered sunstroke and lost control of the airplane that crashed on the ground. He was rescued and transferred to a local hospital where he died from his injuries a day later.

October 12, 1932 at 12:00 AM1 Fatalities

L'Aéropostale

Latécoère 28

Shortly after takeoff from Port Étienne (Nouadhibou), the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances. The pilot Albert Pinot, sole on board, was killed.

October 31, 1933 at 11:20 AM2 Fatalities

Air France

Farman F.301

The airplane departed Zurich (Dübendorf) on a flight to Paris with an intermediate stop in Basel. It was carrying four chamois, 132 kilos of various goods, 239 kilos of gold and 20 kilos of mail. The crew departed Basel-Sternenfeld Airport at 1030LT in good weather conditions. But some 50 minutes into the flight, those conditions worsened and the visibility became poor due to fog. While cruising at an altitude of some 600 metres, the aircraft impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located on a hillside in Étobon, 12 km west of Belfort. A passenger and the radio navigator were killed while all three other occupants were injured. A chamois should be killed due to his injuries while all three others animals went away. All goods, gold and mail were recovered. The aircraft was named 'L'Étoile d'argent'. Crew: Gaston Lafannechère, pilot, Mr. Bloquet, mechanic, Camille Suply, radio navigator. The passenger killed was Mr. Werner Spoerri, a Swiss pharmacist leaving in Einsideln.

November 16, 1933 at 09:00 AM

Air France

Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-213

The crew departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 0840LT on a mail flight to Croydon. Twenty minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 1,000 metres, the left engine caught fire. The crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that impacted an electricity pole and the roof of a factory before crashing in an affluent of the Avelon River, bursting into flames. Both pilots were uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed. All mail, more than one ton, was also destroyed.

November 18, 1933 at 12:00 AM

Air France

Latécoère 25

While on a mail flight to France, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in Roses and was damaged beyond repair. Both crew members were uninjured.

November 25, 1933 at 05:00 PM

Air France

Breguet 280

The pilot René Carpentier was performing a flight from Lyon to Geneva. On approach to Geneva-Cointrin Airport, weather conditions were poor with fog and snow falls. The pilot decided to reduce his altitude to establish a visual contact with the ground when the aircraft impacted ground and crashed in a snow covered field located in Confignon, some 6 km south of the airport. The pilot was uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair. The aircraft was still wearing the 'Air Union' title but was operated on behalf of Air France.