What happened
The incident involved a three-engine airplane operating a special mission from Paris to Dakar, with scheduled intermediate stops at Marseille and Algiers. The flight was transporting Air France personnel and their families, including spouses and children, who were being relocated to a new base in Dakar.
Shortly after departing Algiers-Maison Blanche Airport, the aircraft experienced a sudden explosion while flying in good weather conditions. Immediately following this event, the left wing and the associated left engine detached from the airframe. The aircraft lost control and entered an uncontrolled spiral descent, eventually impacting hilly terrain near Ahmer El Aïn, located west of Blida. Upon impact, the wreckage burst into flames, resulting in the total destruction of the aircraft.
All 25 occupants were killed in the crash. The crew consisted of a pilot, a flight engineer, a radio navigator, and a barman. The passenger manifest included other pilots, a flight engineer, and various family members. Notably, among the victims were the wife and son of a high-ranking French military official based in West Africa.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the exact cause of the accident could not be definitively determined. However, authorities did not rule out the possibility that an explosive device was responsible for the initial failure. It was hypothesized that a bomb may have been placed near the engine spindle, leading to the catastrophic failure of both the engine and the wing spar. Contextual notes indicate that a senior general originally intended to fly on this specific aircraft but changed his itinerary during the Algiers stopover, boarding a different plane bound for Casablanca instead. His personal belongings remained on board the crashed Dewoitine at the time of the accident.