What happened
During a return flight from a training mission in Algiers, an aircraft operated for the Centre d’Instruction des Équipages de Transport de l’Armée de l’Air (CIET) struck a mountain slope. The flight was en route to its home base in Toulouse when it was traversing the Pyrénées Mountains at an altitude of 8,900 feet.
While cruising, the crew notified air traffic control that they were experiencing difficult weather conditions, specifically noting that fog had significantly decreased visibility. Shortly after this communication, the aircraft impacted the northern slope of the Coma de Vaka Peak, situated southeast of Núria near the border between France and Spain. The impact resulted in nine fatalities.
Findings
- The flight was operating under reduced visibility due to fog at the time of the accident.