DC-6B I-LEAD operated on the flight Rome-Paris-Shannon-New York. The aircraft took off from Paris-Orly runway 26. Some 10-15 seconds later, altitude was lost and the DC-6 struck a house 600 m past the runway end. A fire erupted. Weather at the time of the accident was misty with a visibility of 2.2 m, wind 320 deg/6 knots and a 4/8 ceiling at 240 m with temperature -2deg C. Among the fatalities was Guido Cantelli, a well-known Italian orchestral conductor. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The aircraft’s slight loss of altitude soon after take-off was the main cause of the accident. There is no explanation for this loss of altitude. Although the regulations in force were observed, the presence of unmarked obstructions in the take-off path constituted an aggravating factor. The initial and direct cause of the accident remains unknown.”