Accident Overview
On final approach to Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport, a four-engine aircraft was operating in foggy conditions. Low visibility led the flying crew to misjudge the aircraft's altitude. The aircraft struck the tops of pine trees, subsequently stalled, and crashed in flames in a wooded area in Eysines, north of the aerodrome.
Occupants and Damage
The aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire. All nine occupants—six crew members and three passengers—were killed.
Probable Cause (Official Findings)
The official investigation determined the causes of the accident, listed chronologically, as follows: an unfortunate initiative by the tower controller and a misjudgment by the pilot-in-command leading to an attempt to land in insufficient visibility; the use of an attention-grabbing procedure by an excess of means for guiding in plan to the detriment of altitude safety; a probable wrong altimeter setting; and wrong interpretation of the altitude vertical to the outer marker. The fatigue of the flying crew resulting from an excessive period of duty and the discomfort caused by the presence in the cockpit of two additional crew members under training may have contributed to the occurrence.