Status:	Definitief
Datum:	12 SEP 1961
Tijd:	21:09 UTC
Type:	Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III
Luchtvaartmaatschappij:	Air France
Registratie:	F-BJTB
Constructienummer:	68
Bouwjaar:	1961
Aantal vlieguren:	688
Bemanning:	slachtoffers: 6 / inzittenden: 6
Passagiers:	slachtoffers: 71 / inzittenden: 71
Totaal:	slachtoffers: 77 / inzittenden: 77
Schade:	Afgeschreven
Gevolgen:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Plaats:	9 km (5.6 mijl) SSW of Rabat-Sale Airport (RBA) (Marokko)
Fase:	Nadering (APR)
Soort vlucht:	Internationale lijnvlucht
Vliegveld van vertrek:	Paris-Orly Airport (ORY/LFPO), Frankrijk
Vliegveld van aankomst:	Rabat-Sale Airport (RBA/GMME), Marokko
Vluchtnummer:	2005

Beschrijving:
After a normal flight from Orly Airport, Paris, Flight 2005, Paris-Rabat-Casablanca, reported over the Rabat-Sale Airport, where meteorological conditions were unfavourable owing to thick, low fog which reduced horizontal visibility and ceiling. The pilot reported his intention to attempt a break-through over the nondirectional beacon; the control tower immediately replied that that facility was not in line with the runway, but the message was not acknowledged. The aircraft crashed to the ground at 2109 hours GMT. The aircraft was completely destroyed by impact and the fire which followed.

PPROBABL CAUSE: "In the opinion of the board of inquiry of all the theories listed above, those related related to material failure appear the least likely. On the other hand, the theory regarding an error in instrument reading appears more probable than the others. Therefore, the Board explained the failure: 1) by the fact that reading of the Kollsman window altimeter, with which this Caravelle was equipped, may be delicate, as demonstrated by some systematic tests carried out by highly trained crews of various European airlines; 2) by the possibility that the pilot made that error of 1 000 ft at the beginning of the descent, retaining it, then gave his full attention to reading the pointer, which seemed to him to be of prime importance, in order to bring in the aircraft at the minimum authorized altitude."

Bronnen:
» ICAO Accident Digest 13 (No.31)
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com