Investigation Summary
On the morning of February 3, 1982, the Nord 2501 Noratlas (registration 140) was conducting a routine training exercise involving paratrooper drops. The flight departed Djibouti City at 07:30 local time, flying in formation with a second Noratlas. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft encountered poor weather and low visibility, disappearing from the sight of the second aircraft. At 07:39, the aircraft struck the foothills of Mount Garbi at an elevation near its 1,700-meter peak. The investigation identified the event as a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) caused by a combination of bad weather and an incorrect barometric setting on the aircraft's altimeter. The victims included a five-man crew and 31 passengers, primarily from the 2nd Platoon, 4th Company of the 2e REP, along with a member of the Navy's Commando Jaubert.
Final Conclusions
The accident was a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) caused by the aircraft striking Mount Garbi while flying at an insufficient altitude. Contributing factors included poor visibility due to bad weather and an incorrect barometric setting on the aircraft's altimeter, which led the crew to believe they were at a safe altitude.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Terrain Awareness
The aircraft lacked modern ground proximity warning systems (GPWS) common in later decades, contributing to the crew's inability to detect the proximity of Mount Garbi while flying in poor visibility and low cloud cover.
Interesting Facts
- 01The flight was a local paratrooper training mission departing and returning to Djibouti City.
- 02All 36 occupants were killed, including 31 passengers and 5 crew members.
- 03The crash site was located on the foothills of Mount Garbi, northwest of Lake Assal.
- 04The aircraft involved was a Nord 2501 Noratlas built in 1957 (MSN 140).
- 05The accident occurred in the morning during poor weather conditions, not at night.
- 06An incorrect barometric setting on the altimeter was a primary factor in the crash.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Annual Commemoration and Site Maintenance
Following the departure of the French Foreign Legion from Djibouti, veterans (anciens) of the 2e REP established an annual tradition of ascending Mount Garbi to maintain the memorial site and commemorate the victims, ensuring the tragedy is not forgotten by the military community.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · AIRPORT LEVEL · Coordinates are the estimate published in the wikidata coordinate. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.