No fatalities

1947 Aircraft Emergency Beach Landing at Saint-Girons

Saint-Girons, FranceFlight

On September 15, 1947, an Avro 652 Anson operated by French Air Force - Armée de l'Air was involved in an aviation accident near Saint-Girons, France in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the right engine. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

In September 1947, an aircraft suffered a right engine failure en route from Cazaux AFB and made an emergency landing on a beach in Saint-Girons. The crew was unharmed, but the aircraft was later lost to the tide.

What happened

In September 1947, a flight departed from Cazaux Air Base with a destination to the south. During the en route phase of the journey, the right engine failed. In response to this mechanical issue, the pilot reduced altitude and executed an emergency landing on a beach located in Saint-Girons.

All three members of the crew emerged from the incident without injury. With the assistance of local residents, they managed to pull the aircraft out of the water shortly after the landing. However, approximately three hours later, the rising tide trapped the airframe, resulting in it being declared a total loss.

Findings

The official investigation identified the failure of the right engine as the primary cause of the accident.

Probable cause

Failure of the right engine.