Flight and Crew
The aircraft departed London-Gatwick Airport at 2013 LT on a charter flight to Perpignan, carrying 36 passengers and a crew of four. The crew consisted of pilot Max-Marie Dunoyer de Lescheraine, copilot Léopold Marold, navigator Émile-Lucien Jamin, and stewardess Muriel Tiberghain.
Progression of the Flight
At 2315 LT, the crew received clearance to continue direct to Perpignan while maintaining an altitude of 9,500 feet. At 0008 LT, Marseille Control cleared the crew to descend to flight level 65 (FL65), followed by a further descent to FL55 seven minutes later. As the aircraft approached Perpignan, the crew was informed of poor weather conditions at the destination, including thunderstorm activity. The crew subsequently reported that the radiocompass settings were inexploitable due to the violent storm.
Accident Sequence
While cruising in low visibility, the airplane struck trees and crashed on the Roc de Planes, in the massif of the Mottes-Rouges, near the village of Py. The aircraft disintegrated on impact. All 40 occupants were killed. The wreckage was located approximately 48 km southwest of Perpignan-Rivesaltes Airport, at an altitude of 1,810 meters.
Official Probable Cause
The accident was caused by a navigation error on the part of the flying crew, stemming from several errors of judgement in flight. The crew failed to make precise reports between Limoges and Perpignan and did not properly use the VOR of Toulouse and Istres. It was noted that the crew continued south at an altitude of 6,000 feet without knowing their actual position. The investigation also considered that fatigue may have contributed to the accident.