Accident Douglas C-54A-5-DC (DC-4) F-BFGR,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 335418
 
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Date:Saturday 7 February 1953
Time:09:28
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC4 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Douglas C-54A-5-DC (DC-4)
Owner/operator:Union Aéromaritime de Transport
Registration: F-BFGR
MSN: 10290
Year of manufacture:1944
Total airframe hrs:41250 hours
Engine model:Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7
Fatalities:Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 21
Aircraft damage: Destroyed, written off
Category:Accident
Location:5,5 km NE of Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD) -   France
Phase: Approach
Nature:Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:Casablanca (unknown airport)
Destination airport:Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport (BOD/LFBD)
Investigating agency: BEA
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The C-54 operated on a flight from Abidjan (ABJ), Ivory Coast, to Paris, France with en route stops at Casablanca and Bordeaux.
While on approach to Bordeaux in poor visibility the airplane descended into terrain and crashed in a small wood.

CAUSES:
The causes of the accident classified in chronological order of occurrence can be analysed as follows:
(a) Unsuccessful initiative of the tower controller and pilot error of judgement leading to an attempted landing in poor visibility;
(b) Use of a procedure that takes up attention by over-using the means for directional guidance to the detriment of a safe altitude;
(c) Probable altimeter error (setting or other);
(d) Error of appreciation of the vertical of the outer marker.

Crew fatigue resulting from excessively long continuous working hours and interference with the crew's work caused by the presence of two extra members in the cockpit during training may have contributed to the occurrence of the above errors. It is indeed necessary to point out here, in favour of the pilot, qualities of seriousness, prudence and perfect competence unanimously recognized.

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: BEA
Report number: Report f-gr530207
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:


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