What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, an Air Littoral flight traveling from Brussels was being vectored toward runway 23 at Bordeaux. During the approach, weather conditions were characterized by low cloud ceilings of approximately 100 feet and a runway visual range between 350 and 650 meters. After passing the KERAG initial approach fix at FL144, the crew initially requested a holding pattern due to the low visibility.
As the cloud base rose slightly to 160 feet, the pilot elected to attempt rejoining the ILS approach. The aircraft was cleared to descend to 2000 feet and directed toward the BD beacon. During the final approach phase, the aircraft drifted right of the centerline and was not properly established on the glidepath. Following the crossing of the Outer Marker, the aircraft descended below the glideslope. In an attempt to stabilize the approach, the crew deployed the landing gear and flaps, but the captain took manual control without contacting Bordeaux Tower as instructed.
The descent continued until the aircraft type struck treetops in the Eysines forest, approximately 5 km from the runway threshold. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and 16 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the accident was caused by poorly managed aircraft trajectory. The crew failed to maintain adequate vigilance regarding altitude deviations while acting as pilot-flying. Furthermore, there was a significant lack of coordination between the two pilots, specifically regarding the monitoring and reporting of ILS and altitude changes during their respective roles.