Lyon - Algiers

On August 21, 1945 at 09:00 AM, Lyon - Algiers experienced a crash involving Martin B-26 Marauder, operated by French Air Force - Armée de l'Air, with the event recorded near Mélas Ardèche.

The flight was categorized as humanitarian and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

20 people were known to be on board, 20 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 15, passenger fatalities: 15, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft left Lyon-Bron Airfield in the early morning on an air bridge to Algiers. While flying over the Coirons mountain range at an altitude of 3,000 meters, the crew encountered technical problems with the right engine. The aircraft lost height and eventually stalled before crashing in a huge explosion in Mélas. All 20 occupants were killed. Crew: Cpt Jacques Saiget, pilot, Sgt René André Richard, copilot, Lt Claude Victor Bit, navigator, Sgt Marc André Emery, radio operator, Sgt Gabriel Martinet, flight engineer. Passengers: Abade Ben Mohamed, Mohamed Adil, Bagled, Jacob Ben Illouz, Georges Fouyaux, Antoine Giauguliano, Biali Hassen, Hubert Hermandez, Louis André Lathuillère, Ahmed Mimoni, Mohamed Ben Mohamed, Maurice Paya, Lons Solers, Mohamed Taleb, Amer Zaza.

Aircraft reference details include registration 42-107777.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 44.5431°, 4.6732°.