What happened
On a scheduled service from Barcelona to Düsseldorf, the Airbus A320 (flight 4U9525/GWI18G) departed at 10:00 local time. After reaching its assigned cruising altitude of 38,000 feet near Toulon at 10:31 local time, the aircraft began a continuous descent. This descent lasted approximately nine minutes, during which the plane lost altitude steadily until it reached 6,800 feet.
No emergency communications were transmitted by the crew during the descent. At 10:41 local time, radar tracking was lost as the aircraft struck a mountain slope in the vicinity of Prads-Haute-Bléone, located northeast of Digne-les-Bains. The impact caused the aircraft to disintegrate. There were 150 fatalities and no survivors among the occupants. Weather conditions at the time of the impact were reported as favorable, characterized by good visibility, no turbulence, and no storm activity.
Rescuers reached the wreckage site later that afternoon. During the subsequent investigation, the flight data recorder was recovered on April 2, nine days after the occurrence.