A DC-7 of Delta Airlines similar to the crash aircraft |
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Accident summary | |
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Date | 24 September 1959 |
Type | Controlled flight into trees |
Site | Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport, France |
Passengers | 56 |
Crew | 9 |
Injuries | 11 |
Fatalities | 54 |
Survivors | 11 |
Aircraft type | Douglas DC-7C |
Operator | Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux |
Tail number | F-BIAP |
Flight origin | Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport, France |
Destination | Bamako Airport, Mali |
The 1959 TAI Douglas DC-7 accident involved a Douglas DC-7 four-engined airliner registered to Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux (TAI), a French airline, on 24 September 1959. The aircraft was operating a scheduled flight between France and the Ivory Coast via Mali, and crashed during its departure from Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport, France when it flew into trees.[1] All of the flight crew and 45 of the 56 passengers on board were killed; the other 11 passengers were seriously injured.[1]
The TAI DC-7 arrived at Bordeaux from Paris, making a scheduled stop on its route to West Africa. Following a two-hour stopover, departure from Bordeaux took place at 22:33 GMT.[1] Weather at the time of departure was a 3-knot (3.5 mph) wind and light drizzle that did not significantly restrict visibility.[1] Following takeoff, the aircraft reached an altitude of 30 metres (98 ft), and failed to climb further before flying into a pine forest located 2,950 metres (9,680 ft) from the end of the runway.[1]
The aircraft cut a swathe through the forest; some of the passengers were thrown clear of the wreckage as the fuselage broke up, before being destroyed in a post-crash fire.[2] Because of the darkness and a lack of roads in the accident area, rescue workers had difficulty reaching the scene of the crash; their vehicles were unable to approach closer than 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the impact site.[2] Twelve survivors were taken to a hospital in Bordeaux; one later died despite medical care, bringing the total number of deaths caused by the crash to 54.[3][4]
The aircraft involved in the accident, registered F-BIAP, was a Douglas DC-7C airliner powered by four Wright R-3350-30W radial piston engines. Delivered new to Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux on 9 November 1957, it carried manufacturer's serial number 45366.[5]
The Investigation Board appointed to determine the cause of the crash reported that the accident was most likely caused by a combination of factors. Evidence from a reconstructed flight showed that with an increase in speed for a few seconds, the rate of climb of the aircraft will decrease; with a lack of visual references "a pilot may follow a line of flight that will bring the aircraft back near the ground if, during this period, optimum climbing speed is not maintained and the altimeter is not carefully watched". [1]
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