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| Date: | Thursday 15 May 2025 |
| Time: | 10:00 |
| Type: |  Canadair CL-415 |
| Owner/operator: | Securité Civile |
| Registration: | F-ZBFY |
| MSN: | 2010 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Porto Vecchio, South Corsica -
 France
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Ajaccio |
| Ajaccio | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
During a 'routine operational readiness exercise' in the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio, Corsica the aircraft’s fuselage was damaged after striking a 'shallow reef' or 'submerged rocks' while performing a 'water scooping manoeuvre'. Due to the reported damage, the pilots elected to carry out an emergency water landing in La Sauvagie, a port basin of Porto-Vecchio. An inspection revealed a tear in the fuselage approximately three metres in length. No injuries were reported among the two pilots and one firefighter on board.
Investigators from the Gendarmerie des transports aériens in Ajaccio and the Bureau d'enquête accidents pour la sécurité de l'aéronautique d'État (BEAé) were dispatched to the scene.
Press release (2):
When the first emergency services arrived on site, after taking charge of the Canadair crew, a motor-driven pump was set up by the SNSM to control the water ingress on board the aeronet, although no pollution was detected.
In order to assist the grounded aeronet and prevent any potential risk of future pollution, the Préfet Maritime de la Méditerranée immediately ordered the deployment of the anti-pollution unit from the French Navy's naval base in Ajaccio to lay a preventive boom. Secondly, the French Navy's Méditerranee dive team, experts in underwater engineering, was deployed by helicopter from Toulon to assess the damage to the aircraft.
At the same time, the French Civil Protection Service (Sécurité civile) has deployed a technical team from its airborne resources group and experts from the BEAé (bureau d'enquêtes et d'analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile) on the Dragon 2A to assess the damage to the aircraft. At this stage, the Sécurité Civile is concentrating on two objectives: preserving the environment and moving the aircraft safely as quickly as possible.
After an exhaustive analysis of the situation by all the players deployed, the Préfecture Maritime de la Méditerranée, an expert in providing assistance to floats in difficulty at sea as part of the ORSEC maritime plan, took over coordination of the operation at the end of the day to refloat and tow the Canadair, working closely with the technical teams of the Sécurité Civile.
The chartered support (BSAA) Pionnier, which set sail from Toulon at around 8pm with reinforcements of clearance divers, towing and anti-pollution equipment, arrived in Porto-Vecchio Bay at midday on Friday.
Presse release (3):
By the end of the day on Friday 16th, following the initial safety actions carried out by the teams deployed (the French Navy's anti-pollution cell and group of clearance divers, the technical team from the Sécurité Civile's airborne resources group and BEAé experts), the Canadair's situation had been stabilized, with no risk of damage or pollution.
Over the weekend, the various actions consisted in sealing the breaches with resin, in order to restore the watertight integrity of the hull prior to the float-up scheduled for Monday morning, when the weather and tidal range were favorable.
This morning, as the various investigations carried out confirmed that the Canadair was watertight, the clearance divers set up lifting units to float the aircraft prior to extraction.
After checking the Canadair's stability, it was taken in tow by the SNSM boat from Porto-Vecchio and the French Navy's RIBs, in order to be extracted from the grounding area.
The aircraft was then towed to the commercial port of Porto-Vecchio, where it was rigged and brought safely ashore shortly after 9am.
Sources:
https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/corse/apres-un-choc-en-mer-lors-d-un-exercice-un-canadair-endommage-et-immobilise-en-plein-golfe-de-porto-vecchio-3154124.html
https://www.corsematin.com/article/faits-diversjustice/80731496608427/corse-du-sud-un-canadair-amerrit-en-urgence-dans-le-port-de-porto-vecchio
https://www.corsenetinfos.corsica/VIDEO-Porto-Vecchio-le-Canadair-a-ete-remis-a-flot-et-mis-en-securite_a84698.html
Location
Images:
Media:
Corse : un Canadair, après avoir touché un haut-fond, amerrit en urgence - Alain LEPIGEON @_lemarin https://t.co/3Qmhwu1Fih pic.twitter.com/wgxi915AS8
— Jerome OLLIER https://jeromeollier.bsky.social/ (@JeromeOLLIER) May 15, 2025
Ce matin, un Canadair a amerri en urgence en plein golfe de Porto-Vecchio. L'équipage est indemne.
— France 3 Corse (@FTViaStella) May 15, 2025
➡️https://t.co/dXRzcUTZT4 pic.twitter.com/hIiyTo1Kye
Corse du Sud:
— PLANES OF LEGEND ✈️ (@PlanesOfLegend) May 19, 2025
Jeudi 15 mai, le Canadair Pélican 35 (F-ZBFY) de la Sécurité civile a été accidenté lors d’un exercice dans le golfe de Porto-Vecchio. L’appareil a finalement été remis à flot puis remorqué à terre lundi 19 mai au matin, au terme d’une opération d’envergure… pic.twitter.com/wG7wtmTCDX
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-May-2025 11:29 | francois | Added |
| 15-May-2025 11:32 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Narrative, ] |
| 15-May-2025 11:33 | ASN | Updated [Operator, ] |
| 15-May-2025 11:42 | ASN | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 15-May-2025 14:13 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 15-May-2025 14:18 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 16-May-2025 05:12 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 16-May-2025 05:25 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Location, Embed code, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 16-May-2025 05:28 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Category, ] |
| 16-May-2025 05:29 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 16-May-2025 05:31 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 17-May-2025 05:45 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 17-May-2025 05:48 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 17-May-2025 09:46 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Narrative, ] |
| 19-May-2025 19:13 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Location, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 19-May-2025 19:22 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Embed code, ] |
| 19-May-2025 19:22 | Iceman 29 | Updated |
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