4 fatalities

Fatal aircraft accident at Angoulême-Brie-Champniers Airport (F-BIII)

Angoulême-Cognac (Brie-Champniers), FranceTakeoff (climb)

On October 7, 1972, a Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter) (registration F-BIII) operated by Air Pyrénées was involved in an aviation accident near Angoulême-Cognac (Brie-Champniers), France during takeoff. 4 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft experienced an aerodynamic stall during the initial climb following takeoff. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A single-engine aircraft crashed during its initial climb shortly after departing from an airport in France, resulting in no survivors.

What happened

On the date of the incident, a single-engine airplane departed from Angoulême-Brie-Champniers Airport. During the early stages of the flight, specifically while the aircraft was performing its initial climb immediately following liftoff, the plane experienced an aerodynamic stall. This loss of lift caused the aircraft to descend rapidly and impact the ground.

There were four fatalities recorded as a result of the crash, with no survivors among the occupants of the aircraft. The accident occurred in close proximity to the departure runway during the takeoff phase of flight.

Findings

  • The aircraft entered a stall condition during the climb phase.
  • The impact occurred shortly after the aircraft left the runway surface.

Probable cause

The aircraft experienced an aerodynamic stall during the initial climb following takeoff.