What happened
A twin-engine airplane was conducting a repositioning flight originating from Rotterdam, with an intended stop at Troyes-Barberey Airport before proceeding to Montceau-les-Mines. The flight carried two pilots and eight passengers.
After departing from Troyes, the crew operated under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) while traveling south at an altitude of 4,000 feet. Approximately thirty minutes after takeoff, the pilot notified Air Traffic Control of a descent to 2,000 feet. Roughly six minutes following this communication, the aircraft entered cloud cover. During this period, the plane struck trees within the Bois de la Ravière and crashed into the forest. The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that consumed the wreckage.
The accident site was located near Uchon, approximately 25 km northwest of Montceau-les-Mines Airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and by subsequent flames. There were 10 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
The investigation noted that the aircraft was flying through clouds at the time of the accident, which suggests a deviation from the required VFR conditions.