Incident
A crew departed Bousfer Airbase in Algeria on a long-distance navigation training mission to Heraklion, Greece, on behalf of Flotille 21.F, based at Nîmes-Garons Naval Air Station in France. The flight was uneventful until the crew was approaching Heraklion Airport, when an engine caught fire. Control of the aircraft was lost, and it crashed a few kilometers from the runway threshold.
Casualties
Nine crew members were killed in the accident: OE3 Henri Schimpf, EV2 Pollard, PM Brocard, MT Le Bris, MT Henry, MT Didier, MT Aguen, SM François, and SM Jégou. Four other crew members sustained injuries. The aircraft bore civil registration F-XCUR.
Probable Cause
According to official findings, the probable cause of the accident was an engine fire on approach.