Incident Overview
Date: Thursday 21 January 1971
Aircraft Type: Nord 262A-34
Owner/operator: L’Arme de L’Air
Registration Number: 44/F-RBOA
Location: 2,5 km S of Mzilhac –
ÿ France
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21
Component Affected: Aircraft Altitude and Clearance LevelsAircraft Altitude and Clearance Levels
Category: Accident
A plane crashed in a severe blizzard in the mountainous terrain of the Suc de Pradou mountain range, resulting in the deaths of seven French nuclear weapons experts. The aircraft was cleared by Marseilles ACC at FL 80 to MTL VOR and FL50, with the minimum safe altitude level being FL50. Controllers initially considered the pilot might have retained FL50 as the final clearance, leading to the crash.A plane crashed in a severe blizzard in the mountainous terrain of the Suc de Pradou mountain range, resulting in the deaths of seven French nuclear weapons experts. The aircraft was cleared by Marseilles ACC at FL 80 to MTL VOR and FL50, with the minimum safe altitude level being FL50. Controllers initially considered the pilot might have retained FL50 as the final clearance, leading to the crash.
Description
Crashed in a blizzard in mountainous terrain. The airplane flew into the side of Suc de Pradou, a 1342 m high mountain and came to rest 200 m below the summit. Seven of France’s top nuclear weapons experts were killed. The crew had been cleared by Marseilles ACC at FL 80 to the Montelimar (MTL) VOR and FL50 afterwards. FL80 was the minimum safe altitude level between CMF (Clermont Ferrand) and MTL. Controllers at the time considered it possible that the pilot might have retained the FL50 as the final clearance and had disregarded the initial FL80 instruction.
Source of Information
http://site.voila.fr/drames-aeriens/ardeche2.pdfhttp://site.voila.fr/drames-aeriens/ardeche2.pdfPrimary Cause
Pilot error/Misjudgment of altitudePilot error/Misjudgment of altitudeShare on:
