A Douglas DC-3 passenger plane, registered F-BEIZ, was destroyed when it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. All 36 passengers and three crew members were killed. In the morning of September 12, 1951 the captain filed an IFR flight plan for a direct flight from Perpignan Airport (PGF), France across the Mediterranean Sea to Oran-es Senia Airport (ORN) in Algeria. Planned en route altitude was 8000 feet and estimated flying time was 3 hours and 15 minutes. The en route weather forecast showed that a storm would be present in the area between the Balearic Island and the Spanish main land with possible cumulo-nimbus clouds with turbulence and hail. The DC-3 took off at 10:45 from runway 13 at Perpignan Airport. The crew made several en route position reports and contacted a controller at Algiers at 12:26, requesting a descent from 8000 to 6000 feet. This was approved by the controller at 12:28. This was the last radio contact with the flight. A search was initiated when the airplane failed to arrive at Oran. After a 4-day search several pieces of wreckage were found. PROBABLE CAUSE: “Failure of airframe following loss of control in difficult weather conditions into which the pilot had flown the aircraft.”