Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 1 December 1956
Aircraft Type: SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc
Owner/operator: L’Arme de L’Air
Registration Number: 61/F-SSUN
Location: S off Marseille –
ÿ Mediterranean Sea
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Aircraft missing, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10
Component Affected: SNCASE Languedoc F-SSUN aircraftSNCASE Languedoc F-SSUN aircraft
Category: Accident
A French Air Force SAR unit, the SNCASE Languedoc F-SSUN, was deployed to assist a Panamian cargo ship, the Antares, which had sent out a distress call. The aircraft circled the Mediterranean Sea in poor weather and reported its position to 41ø44’N, 005ø06’E, intending to return to Istres with an expected arrival time of 00:50 hours. No further communication was received.A French Air Force SAR unit, the SNCASE Languedoc F-SSUN, was deployed to assist a Panamian cargo ship, the Antares, which had sent out a distress call. The aircraft circled the Mediterranean Sea in poor weather and reported its position to 41ø44’N, 005ø06’E, intending to return to Istres with an expected arrival time of 00:50 hours. No further communication was received.
Description
SNCASE Languedoc F-SSUN was attached to the Escadrille Arienne de Recherches et de Sauvetages (EARS) 99, which was the SAR unit of the French Air Force. It took off from lstres Air Base to help a Panamanian cargo ship, the Antares, which sent out a distress message. The aircraft circled the area of the Mediterranean Sea in poor weather. At 23:56 hours, the pilot reported his position to be 41ø44’N, 005ø06’E and his intention to return to Istres with an expected arrival time of 00:50 hours. Nothing more was heard from the flight. Despite an intense search operation, no trace was found.
Primary Cause
Possible navigational error or misinterpretation of the pilot’s intentions.Possible navigational error or misinterpretation of the pilot’s intentions.Share on:
