Status:	Final
Date:	03 SEP 1979
Time:	18:20
Type:	Aérospatiale SN.601 Corvette
Operator:	Sterling Airways
Registration:	OY-SBS
C/n / msn:	21
First flight:	1975
Total airframe hrs:	5161
Engines:	2 Pratt & Whitney JT15D-4
Crew:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:	Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Total:	Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10
Airplane damage:	Destroyed
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	1 km (0.6 mls) SW off Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE) (France)
Phase:	Approach (APR)
Nature:	Int'l Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Coventry-Baginton Airport (CVT/EGBE), United Kingdom
Destination airport:	Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE/LFMN), France
Flightnumber:	4133

Narrative:
An Aérospatiale SN.601 Corvette corporate jet, registration OY-SBS, operated by Sterling Airways from Denmark, was destroyed when it crashed into the sea near Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport (NCE), France. The eight passengers and both crew members were killed.
Flight NB4133 departed Copenhagen on the day of the accident on a flight to Stockholm. Three passengers embarked and the flight continued to Coventry-Baginton Airport (CVT), UK. The airplane was refueled and another six passengers embarked. The flight departed at 14:30 and continued to Nice at an altitude of FL290. The descent for Nice was uneventful until 18:02 local time at FL200 when the airplane suffered a double engine fire. The crew reported an emergency and were cleared direct to Nice for an emergency landing. Nice Approach vectored the crew for an emergency landing at Nice runway 05. The airplane was on finals when it crashed into the sea about 1 km from the runway.

CAUSES DE L'ACCIDENT: "L'accident resulte de l'impact de l'avion en mer à la suite d'une perte de contrôle en dernier virage, les deux moteurs etant êteinis.
L'extinction definitive du moteur gauche provient d'une rupture mécanique du pignon d'entrainement des accessoires.
Le moteur droit n'a pas pu être renfloué, et les causes de son extinction définitive restent indéterminées."

Events:

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