No fatalities

Charter Flight with Swedish Football Team Performs Emergency Landing on Beach in France (LN-NAE)

Mimizan, FranceLanding (descent or approach)

On April 2, 1952, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration LN-NAE) operated by Fred. Olsen's Air Transport - Fred. Olsen Flyselskap was involved in an aviation accident near Mimizan, France during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Engine failure. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A charter flight carrying 28 people, including a Swedish football team, made an emergency landing on a beach near Mimizan, France, after an engine failure. All occupants evacuated safely; the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Incident

On a charter flight from Madrid to Norrköping with an intermediate stop in Bordeaux, the aircraft was carrying a crew of six and 22 members of a Swedish football team. While descending to Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport during poor weather conditions, a technical failure occurred on one engine. The captain determined that reaching the airport was not possible and reduced altitude to attempt an emergency landing on a beach located three kilometers north of Mimizan.

Emergency Landing and Evacuation

The aircraft performed a belly landing on the sand beach, sliding for several dozen yards before coming to rest partially submerged. All 28 occupants evacuated safely. The aircraft was subsequently assessed as damaged beyond repair.

Probable Cause

The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was an engine failure.