Lockheed L-749 Constellation accident at Santa Maria, Portugal, 28 Oct 1949 (F-BAZN)
On October 28, 1949, a Lockheed L-749 Constellation (registration F-BAZN) operated by Air France was involved in an aviation accident near Santa Maria, Portugal during landing or approach. 48 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Without rejecting with an absolute certainty the possibility of a misinterpretation, the Commission of Inquiry believes that the inaccurate navigation of the aircraft is due to a sudden failure, at the end of the flight and unsuspected by the crew, of some… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
Without rejecting with an absolute certainty the possibility of a misinterpretation, the Commission of Inquiry believes that the inaccurate navigation of the aircraft is due to a sudden failure, at the end of the flight and unsuspected by the crew, of some elements from the receiving direction finding system, abnormal radio propagation operation or become defective. This cause combined with overconfidence due to good weather conditions in the arrival zone, conditions which have not prompted the captain to check his radio point as it would have done under unfavorable weather conditions. A visual confusion in darkness finally resulted. Final report: http://aviatechno.net/constellation/rapport_f-bazn.php
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
About 150 nm from his destination, the crew informed ground about the ETA in Santa Maria-Vila do Porto Airport at 0245LT. Few minutes later, the captain changed this ETA to 0255LT. During the final approach completed by night but in good weather conditions, while at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the captain confirmed to ATC that he had the runway in sight and was approaching in VFR mode. Shortly later, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Redondo (about 900 meters high) located few km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 48 occupants were killed. Among them were the French boxer Marcel Cerdan, the French violinist Ginette Neveu and her brother Jean Neveu, pianist, and Kay Kamen, artistic director by Walt Disney Studios. Crew: Jean de la Noue, pilot, Charles Wolfer, copilot, Camille Fidency, copilot, André Villet, mechanic, Marcel Sarrazin, mechanic, Roger Pierre, radio operator, Paul Giraud, radio operator, Jean Salvatori, navigator, Raymond Redon, steward, Albert Brucker, steward, Suzanne Ruig, stewardess.
Probable cause (official findings): Without rejecting with an absolute certainty the possibility of a misinterpretation, the Commission of Inquiry believes that the inaccurate navigation of the aircraft is due to a sudden failure, at the end of the flight and unsuspected by the crew, of some elements from the receiving direction finding system, abnormal radio propagation operation or become defective. This cause combined with overconfidence due to good weather conditions in the arrival zone, conditions which have not prompted the captain to check his radio point as it would have done under unfavorable weather conditions. A visual confusion in darkness finally resulted. Final report: http://aviatechno.net/constellation/rapport_f-bazn.php