Farman F.60 Goliath

Air Union France

Shortly after takeoff from Marden, the airplane went out of control and crashed in an open field located in Widehurst Farm. Both crew members were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Air Union France

The crew departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport on a mail flight to Croydon. While cruising over The Channel in heavy snow falls, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed in the sea off Folkestone. Both crew members were killed, among them André Schutz. The airplane was named 'Provence'.

Air Union France

While cruising over The Channel and approaching the British coast, the crew encountered technical problems. The pilot decided to ditch the aircraft off Hythe, Kent. While all occupants were quickly rescued, the aircraft named 'Normandie' was lost.

French Air Force - Armée de l'Air

The crew was performing a mission on behalf of the 3rd Squadron of the 22nd Regiment based in Chartres. In flight, the pilot encountered technical problems and was forced to attempt an emergency landing in an open field located in Mâle, some 8 km southwest of Nogent-le-Rotrou, Orne. While all five crew were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Société Générale des Transports Aériens - SGTA

Originally, the flight was supposed to be performed with a Farman F.121 Jabiru but it was not ready for this mission, so an old Farman F.61 Goliath was delivered to the team. With two new engines and floats, the airplane departed Saint Louis (Senegal) at 0715LT bound for Recife, Pernambouc. The aircraft named 'France Amérique Latine' never arrived at destination and SAR operations were initiated. They were eventually abandoned as no trace from the aircraft nor the crew was found. Brazilian fishermen found a wheel of the aircraft on 18JUN1927 but this was the only element ever found. Crew: Lt de Vaisseau Hervé de Mouneyrès, Ens de Vaisseau Coeffin, Mr. Petit, mechanic, Cpt Jacques de Serre.

French Air Force - Armée de l'Air

The crew was performing a night training flight on behalf of the 3rd Squadron of the 22nd regiment based in Chartres. While flying in the region of Bonneval, some 20 km south of Chartres, the aircraft caught fire. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing. From a height of 50 meters, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. All five occupants were killed. Crew: Lt Jules Gindre, pilot, Sgt Pierre Pacaud, navigator, Sgt Roger Duchatelle, navigator, Sgt Raymond Rigault, mechanic, Pvt Jean Frémont, radio.

Air Union France

The airplane departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1255LT on a flight to Croydon, carrying seven passengers and two crew members. After passing over The Channel, the crew passed Dymchurch when the weather conditions worsened with rain falls and storm activity. The pilot reduced his altitude to 500 feet then decided to follow a railway line, apparently to divert to Penshurst Aerodrome. Too low, the aircraft collided with an oak tree and crashed in an open field. A female passenger was killed while eight other occupants were injured. The aircraft named 'Île de France' was damaged beyond repair. Crew: Roger Paul Ernest Thierry, pilot, Pierre Auclair, mechanic. Passengers: Mrs. Kate V. Burke, Reverend D. Burke, Mr. J. L. Burke, Mrs. M. Redner, + three other passengers, an Italian, a French and a Briton.

Farman Line

Shortly after takeoff from Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, one of the engine failed. Unable to return to the airport, the pilot attempted an emergency landing in an open field. After touchdown, the aircraft impact a drainage ditch, lost an undercarriage and came to rest. While all occupants evacuated safely, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Air Union France

For unknown reasons, the aircraft landed hard at Croydon Airport. Upon impact, it nosed down before coming to rest, bursting into flames. While all occupants evacuated safely, the aircraft was destroyed by fire. Pilot was Paul Delisle.

Air Union France

After overflying the Channel, the crew encountered technical problems and made a force landing in Littlestone-on-Sea, Kent. While all occupants evacuated safely, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Air Union France

The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget at 1245LT and landed at Berck-sur-Mer a little over an hour later in order to take 3 passengers on board, the journey being continued at 1445LT. Shortly after passing Lympne, the port engine commenced to overheat and on this account the pilot turned back and landed on the aerodrome. It was then found that the port radiator was leaking. After the mechanic had executed a temporary repair and refilled the radiator, the pilot left Lympne at 1647LT with both engines running satisfactorily. When the aeroplane was a few miles to the south of Maidstone, flying at a height of about 1,500 feet, the starboard engine failed suddenly and completely, the propeller coming to a standstill. The pilot, while looking for a suitable landing ground and keeping the port engine running under full power, made a wide circuit to the left and at a height of about 500 feet he resumed his original course with the intention of landing in a large field on East Malling. (This field was known to the pilot, as he had on a previous occasion made a forced landing not far from it). While the pilot was making the circuit to the left the mechanic reported the engine failure to Croydon by W/T and moved two suitcases from his gangway to the rear of the passengers' cabin. Acting on an order from the pilot, he then instructed the four passengers in the nose of the Goliath to move into the after portion of the cabin. Two of the passengers took up a position at the rear end of the cabin and one stood by the second seat. The fourth passenger in the nose of the machine, (killed) who at that time was suffering from air sickness, refused to leave his seat. On nearing the ground and when the aeroplane was heading in a N.N.W. direction with the field on its port bow, the pilot throttled down the port engine and prepared to turn into wind for the landing. As soon as the engine was throttled down the tail of the machine commenced to drop and the pilot was unable to correct the movement, the controls becoming inoperative. The aeroplane then turned with increasing bank to starboard and finally nose-dived to the ground. The pilot was slightly injured in the crash, his mechanic was hurt quite seriously. Crew: Jean-Jacques Denneulin, pilot, Jean Morin, mechanic. Passengers: Mr. L. E. A. Gunther (killed) Mr. S. Bertish (seriously injured) Mr. M.Oliver (seriously injured) Mr. M. Strieseman (seriously injured) Mr. Centeswall (seriously injured) Mr. A.M. Austin (injured) Mr. D. Smith (injured) Mrs Smith (injured) Mr. Murat (unhurt). Source: Kent & Sussex History Forum

Compagnie Aérienne Française

The airplane was dispatched in Valenciennes to take part to an airshow. After takeoff on its first sortie of the day, the aircraft suffered a double engine failure. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in an open field. All 12 occupants were rescued, among them seven passengers were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Air Union France

The aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1235LT bound to the north. While cruising at a height of 3,000 feet, the entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field located in Monsures, Somme. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. All six occupants were killed. Crew: François Le Men, pilot +1. Passenger: Mr. Pierrot, Technical Director of Air Union, Two US citizen, One Finnish citizen.

Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens - CGEA

The aircraft was completing a regular schedule flight from Paris-Le Bourget to Croydon with three passengers and a crew of two on board. While cruising at a height of 500 feet in foggy conditions, the aircraft collided with a De Havilland DH.18A operated by Daimler Airway and registered G-EAWO. It appears that the DH.18 hit the upper left wing of the Farman which detached. Both aircraft crashed in an open field (a piece of wing crashed on the roof of a house) and were destroyed. While the British pilot was seriously injured, all other six occupants were killed. The only survivor died from his injuries few hours later. The collision occurred in Thieuloy-Saint-Antoine, some four km south of Grandvilliers and 27 km north of Beauvais, Oise. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to fog. First collision in commercial aviation history. Crew: Jean Mire, pilot Mr. Simonet, mechanic Passengers: Mr Bouriez, engineer by CGEA, Mr & Mrs Christopher Bruce Yule, American citizens who were on honeymoon and travelling back to the US via London.

Syndicat National pour l'Etude du Transport Aérien - SNETA

The aircraft was on its way from Croydon to Brussels-Haren Airport, a daily mail service, with a crew of two on board. While overflying The Channel, the aircraft caught fire and crashed in the sea some 6 km off Calais, France. The crew of a tug-boat named 'Champion' arrived on the scene but found only some debris floating on water and no trace of both crew members who were later considered as deceased. Crew: Lt Paul Delsenne, pilot Raymond Rijckers, mechanic. French pilot Delsenne was a freelance in the Belgian aviation since July 1920 and this was his last official flight as he should join the Armée de l'Air in Châteauroux on 01SEP1921. On his side, Raymond Rijckers was a young mechanic aged 21 and should obtain his pilot licence in a short time.