What happened
A delivery flight operated by Compagnie Autrex-Long-Loreta-Lebreton was traveling from Paris to Hanoi via several stops. After departing Paris on 22 January 1954 and stopping in Brindisi, the aircraft proceeded to Nicosia. Due to a malfunction in the HF radio equipment, the flight crew altered their route to divert to Beirut, seeking specialized repair services and necessary spare parts.
During a nighttime final approach at 105 knots, the aircraft struck an earth mound located approximately 85 feet before the threshold of runway 36. The impact caused significant damage to the right main landing gear. Although the aircraft managed to reach the runway surface, the undercarriage collapsed upon touchdown. There were no injuries reported, but the aircraft was declared a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary factor was pilot error resulting from unfamiliarity with the local terrain, as the pilot had no prior landing experience at Beirut International Airport. The crew's approach was noted as being unnecessarily short given the runway length and the functional state of the aircraft.
Several contributing factors were noted, including:
- Restricted visibility during the night approach which prevented the detection of the obstacle.
- A potentially incorrect altimeter setting that contributed to a low approach.
- The presence of the 78 cm high mound near the runway entrance.
- Possible excessive landing weight, which may have contributed to the failure of the right main gear.