Potez 540

French Government

On the evening of 22JUN1938, the crew completed some training maneuvers in the airports of Orléans, Châteauroux and Tours before flying back to his base in Villacoublay. The twine engine aircraft left Tours-Parçay-Meslay Airport shortly after midnight on 23JUN1938. An engine misfired few minutes after takeoff and the attempted to make an emergency landing when the right wing hit the ground. Aircraft crashed in a huge explosion and was totally wrecked by impact forces and post crash fire. All seven crewmen were killed. They were performing a mission on behalf of the Section Centrale des Transports Aériens (SCTA). Crew: Captain Reynaud, Lieutenant Canal, Lieutenant de Vaisseau Perret, Sergeant in Chief Thibault, Sergeant Fabre.

French Air Force - Armée de l'Air

The crew was performing a training flight on behalf of the Reconnaissance Group I/55. On final approach, the aircraft was caught by severe downdraft and crashed in flames, killing all five occupants. Crew: Lieutenant De Champ de Saint Léger, Board Chief, Sergeant Dupuy, pilot, Sergeant Robert, pilot and instructor, Aspirant Premillieux, observer, Sergeant Ragoy, engineer.

French Air Force - Armée de l'Air

The aircraft was performing a flight from Toulouse-Francazal Air Base to Madrid on behalf of the French Embassy in Madrid. While descending to Madrid, the aircraft was attacked by two Spanish Nationalists fighters Polikarpov I-5. Crew decided to attempt an emergency landing in a field located near Guadalaraja, some 40 km northeast of Madrid. The aircraft crash landed and was destroyed by a post crash fire while all six occupants were injured.

Spanish Air Force - Ejército del Aire

The crew was performing a flight from Getafe Air Base to Toledo. In flight, aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located near Rielves. All four crew were killed. The aircraft was christened 'Aqui le Espero'.