On November 4, 1958, a Bristol 170 Freighter (registration F-BHVB) operated by Compagnie Air Transport - CAT was involved in an aviation accident near Le Touquet, France during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck a beacon due to an insufficient approach altitude, subsequently causing the landing gear to collapse upon touchdown. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft sustained significant damage after striking a beacon during its final approach to Le Touquet Airport, resulting in landing gear failure.
What happened
During the final approach phase toward Le Touquet Airport, the aircraft descended below the required altitude and made contact with a navigational beacon. Despite this impact, the crew proceeded with the landing sequence.
Upon making contact with the runway, the structural integrity of the undercarriage was compromised, leading to its failure. This caused the aircraft type to settle onto its belly as it moved along the surface. The incident resulted in the aircraft being declared a total loss due to damage exceeding repairable limits. There were zero fatalities and zero injuries reported among the crew following the event.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the low approach altitude which led to the initial collision with ground equipment.
Probable cause
The aircraft struck a beacon due to an insufficient approach altitude, subsequently causing the landing gear to collapse upon touchdown.
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