Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 27 November 1940
Aircraft Type: SNCAC (Farman) NC.223.4
Owner/operator: Air France
Registration Number: F-AROA
Location: ca 50 S off Cape Spartivento, Sardinia, Italy –
ÿ Mediterranean Sea
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Aircraft missing, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Component Affected: Aircraft (Specifically, the La Verrier mail plane)Aircraft (Specifically, the La Verrier mail plane)
Category: Unlawful Interference
A Farman SNCAC (Farman) NC.223.4 mail plane, named La Verrier, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while on a mail flight from Marseille, France to Bizerte, Beirut, and Damascus. The aircraft was reportedly diverted into the Battle of Cape Spartivento, a zone of intense naval activity involving British and Italian ships. The crew reported being hit by machine-gun fire.A Farman SNCAC (Farman) NC.223.4 mail plane, named La Verrier, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while on a mail flight from Marseille, France to Bizerte, Beirut, and Damascus. The aircraft was reportedly diverted into the Battle of Cape Spartivento, a zone of intense naval activity involving British and Italian ships. The crew reported being hit by machine-gun fire.
Description
A SNCAC (Farman) NC.223.4 mail plane, named La Verrier, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea while on a mail flight from Marseille, France, to Bizerte, Beirut and Damascus. On board was the newly-appointed Vichy High Commissioner to Lebanon and Syria, M. Jean Chiappe. The airplane likely strayed into the battle zone of the Battle of Cape Spartivento. That day British and Italian naval ships were involved in a battle. The crew reportedly radioed that they were hit by machine-gun fire.
Primary Cause
Diverted flight into a contested naval zone during a battle.Diverted flight into a contested naval zone during a battle.Share on:
