Investigation Summary
The flight departed Le Bourget at 10:15 GMT (11:15 local time). After passing Le Tréport at 11:10 GMT, the pilot requested a radio fix from Croydon to navigate through deteriorating weather. At 11:19 GMT, the fix placed the aircraft approximately 18.5 miles west-southwest of Boulogne. No further communications were received, and no SOS was transmitted, suggesting a sudden impact estimated to have occurred at approximately 11:20 GMT. The search effort involved lifeboats from Folkestone and Dover, as well as French vessels, but was severely hampered by visibility as low as 15 yards in dense fog. The lack of distress signals and the prevailing weather led to the conclusion that the aircraft flew into the sea while the crew was attempting to fly beneath the cloud base. On May 18, a mailbag was recovered on the French coast, and the body of passenger Arthur Louis Fraissard was found near Fort Mahon; medical examination noted fractures and skin lesions described as burns, which historical analysis suggests were chemical burns resulting from prolonged exposure to floating fuel rather than fire.
Final Conclusions
The accident was attributed to controlled flight into the sea (CFIT) while the pilot was attempting to navigate under a low cloud base in conditions of poor visibility and fog. The aircraft was destroyed, and the registration was officially cancelled in August 1934.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Wireless Radio
The aircraft was equipped with a wireless radio used for obtaining position fixes from ground stations at Croydon and Pulham.
Wibault 282T-12 Airframe
A three-engine, all-metal low-wing monoplane designed for passenger transport.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a three-engine Wibault 282T-12, a type known as the 'Golden Clipper'.
- 02The pilot, Francois Cannet, was described as a very experienced airman.
- 03No SOS or distress signal was ever received from the aircraft.
- 04The body of passenger Arthur Louis Fraissard was recovered near Fort Mahon, showing signs of fractures and chemical burns from fuel contact.
- 05The search visibility was reported to be as low as 15 yards at times.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Fleet Inspection
Source ↗Following the disappearance of F-AMHP and a subsequent non-fatal accident involving another Wibault 282 (F-AMHL) later that month, Air France briefly suspended Wibault 282 operations for technical inspections of the airframes and engines.