Incident Overview
Following departure from Frankfurt-Main Airport, the flight crew was informed about strong winds blowing from the northwest at speeds up to 30 knots along the route between Dijon and Bordeaux. The pilot-in-command decided to continue the flight under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) at an altitude of 6,000 feet. While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Le Mont-Dore, approximately 32 kilometers southwest of Clermont-Ferrand. Upon impact, the airplane was destroyed and all 36 occupants were killed.
Weather Conditions
At the time of the accident, weather conditions included a cloud layer with a coverage of 6 eighths at an altitude of 1,000 meters. Below this cloud deck, visibility was estimated to be over 40 kilometers. Despite these relatively good visibility conditions below the clouds, the aircraft was subjected to strong northwest winds that likely affected its navigation.
Flight Path Deviation
The aircraft was found to be off course by approximately 100 kilometers to the south at the time of the accident. This significant deviation was probably due to the strong winds encountered along the route. Additionally, the crew continued the flight at an altitude of 6,000 feet instead of the initially intended 8,000 feet, though the reason for this decision was not specified in the report.