Johannesburg – Wadi Halfa – Khartoum – Nice – Paris – London

On November 20, 1948 at 12:00 AM, Johannesburg – Wadi Halfa – Khartoum – Nice – Paris – London experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Mercury Aviation, with the event recorded near Paris-Orly Val-de-Marne.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

14 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 14 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 9, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While descending to Paris-Le Bourget Airport, the pilot was instructed by ATC to divert to Orly Airport as a landing in Le Bourget was impossible due to the low visibility caused by mist. While approaching Paris-Orly Airport, the crew was forced to abandon the approach due to foggy conditions and made a go around. Then three other attempts to land were also aborted. During the fifth attempt, the pilot reduced his altitude, probably to establish a visual contact with the ground, when the aircraft hit a electric pylon and crashed on a generator located near the runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all 14 occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Aircraft reference details include registration ZS-BWX, MSN 4254, year of manufacture 1941.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 48.7477°, 2.3556°.