Incident
On a special flight from Marseille-Marignane to Perpignan-Rivesaltes Airport, a four-engine aircraft operating under callsign Pélican 63 descended towards its destination. The crew encountered poor weather conditions, including fog and rain showers, which reduced visibility. During the descent, the crew failed to realize their altitude was too low, and the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain near Fitou, approximately 20 km north of Perpignan Airport. The impact destroyed the aircraft and killed all five occupants.
Flight Details
The flight carried two passengers and a crew of three. The passengers were a French Army engineer and a colonel. The captain, aged 64, served as the deputy of the Chief of Operations of the Marseille-Marignane Airbase. The purpose of the flight was to proceed to a technical visit of the supply center at Perpignan-Rivesaltes Airport.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, the crew faced fog and rain showers. The limited visibility created challenging conditions for the descent to Perpignan Airport.
Probable Cause
The crew's failure to realize the aircraft's altitude was too low during the descent in limited visibility, due to fog and rain showers, resulted in the aircraft striking the mountain slope.