What happened
On the early morning of the accident, a Douglas DC-4 operated by GLAM departed from Aoulef Airfield at 02:45LT, destined for Bidon V. Shortly after departure, communication between the flight crew and ground controllers became infrequent. At approximately 03:00LT, all radio contact with the aircraft was lost.
Search and rescue operations were initiated following the disappearance. Roughly 30 hours later, a separate crew flying a Douglas DC-4 located the wreckage at approximately 18:15LT. The debris field was spread across an area exceeding 2 km, situated about 106 km southwest of Aoulef and roughly 50 km west of the path between Reggan and Bidon V.
All 26 occupants on board the aircraft perished in the accident. Many of the passengers were local residents traveling from Bamako to return home following studies in France.
Findings
Investigations into the wreckage suggest that an explosion occurred within a wing compartment, specifically involving the fuel tank area. This detonation is believed to have caused the left wing to separate from the fuselage. The loss of this structural component rendered the aircraft impossible to control during flight.