Flight Details
Flight 2005, operated by Air France, was a scheduled service from Orly Airport in Paris to Rabat and then Casablanca. The aircraft was a Caravelle with a crew of six: Captain Seaume, Copilot Simeoni, Mechanic Nicora, Stewardess Metenier, and Stewards Duhamel and Jacomon.
Accident Sequence
The flight proceeded normally to Rabat-Sale Airport. Upon arrival, meteorological conditions were unfavorable due to thick, low fog that reduced horizontal visibility and ceiling. The pilot reported an intention to attempt a breakthrough over the non-directional beacon. The control tower immediately advised that the beacon was not in line with the runway, but the pilot did not acknowledge the message. The aircraft crashed to the ground at 2109 hours GMT. Impact and the subsequent fire completely destroyed the aircraft.
Probable Cause
The official investigation concluded that material failure was the least likely theory. Instead, the board determined that an error in instrument reading was more probable. Specifically, the board explained the failure by two factors: first, the Kollsman window altimeter with which the Caravelle was equipped may be delicate to read, as demonstrated by tests with highly trained crews. Second, the pilot may have made an error of 1,000 feet at the beginning of the descent and retained that error, focusing on the pointer reading to bring the aircraft to the minimum authorized altitude.