What happened
Following a routine departure from Orly Airport in Paris, Flight 2005 was operating a route toward Casablanca via Rabat. As the aircraft approached Rabat-Sale Airport, the crew encountered challenging weather conditions characterized by dense, low-lying fog that significantly restricted both the ceiling and horizontal visibility.
The pilot communicated an intention to attempt a visual break-through of the fog using the non-directional beacon. Air traffic control responded by notifying the flight crew that the beacon was not aligned with the runway; however, this warning went unacknowledged. At 2109 GMT, the Caravelle struck the ground. The impact and subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and 6 fatalities.
Findings
An official inquiry investigated several potential factors, ultimately dismissing mechanical or material failure as unlikely causes. Investigators focused on the possibility of an error regarding instrument readings. Specifically, it was noted that reading the Kollsman window altimeter on this particular Caravelle could be difficult, a challenge previously documented by experienced crews across Europe.
The investigation concluded that the pilot may have misread the altimeter by 1,000 feet at the start of the descent. This error likely persisted throughout the approach as the pilot focused heavily on monitoring the instrument to maintain the minimum required altitude, leading to the fatal descent.