Investigation Summary
The flight departed Le Bourget at 12:35 local time, carrying two crew members and four passengers, including Émile Pierrot, the Technical Director of Air Union. Approximately one hour into the flight, while flying over the Somme region, the aircraft experienced a sudden structural breakup. A local garde champêtre (rural guard) witnessed the event, describing an aerial explosion followed by the aircraft's descent. The investigation confirmed that the breakup was not an engine explosion but a structural failure of the wing. The separation of the wing and parts of the undercarriage in flight rendered the aircraft completely uncontrollable. The Farman Goliath was a prominent early airliner, but this accident highlighted the vulnerabilities of early wooden and fabric wing structures under the stresses of scheduled commercial service.
Final Conclusions
The accident was caused by the structural failure of a wing during flight. Evidence for this was conclusive, as one of the wings was discovered 200 yards (180m) from the main wreckage, and a pair of undercarriage wheels was found near the Amiens to Beauvais railway line, also several hundred yards from the crash site.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Wing Structure
The Farman Goliath utilized a biplane wing configuration; the failure of one wing led to an immediate loss of lift and control.
Undercarriage
A pair of wheels detached during the mid-air breakup, indicating significant structural stress or failure of the mounting points.
Interesting Facts
- 01One of the aircraft's wings was found 180 meters away from the main wreckage site.
- 02A pair of wheels from the undercarriage was found near the Amiens to Beauvais railway line.
- 03The Technical Director of Air Union, M. Émile Pierrot, was among the fatalities.
- 04The aircraft had been in service since April 1922, originally with Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes.
- 05The victims included three French nationals, two Americans, and one Finn.
Location
APPROXIMATE POSITION · Position recorded by the wikidata coordinate without a stated precision, so the ring shows roughly where the event occurred rather than an exact point. The ring shows the accuracy the record supports, not the point of impact.