Investigation Summary
The flight was a government mission returning General Charles Ailleret to Paris following an inspection of French troops in the Indian Ocean. The aircraft had arrived from Antananarivo earlier that afternoon and was originally scheduled to remain overnight. However, the departure was moved forward to 23:15 local time. This schedule change meant the crew had significantly less rest than planned, leading investigators to suspect that pilot fatigue played a major role in the subsequent errors. Upon taking off from runway 13, the crew encountered light rain and marginal visibility. Standard instrument departure procedures for Gillot Airport required an immediate left turn to avoid the high terrain of the island. Instead, the aircraft initiated a right turn. Air traffic control observed the incorrect maneuver and contacted the pilot 55 seconds after takeoff, instructing them to turn left immediately and climb. The pilot acknowledged the instruction, but the aircraft's left wing struck two araucaria trees shortly thereafter. The DC-6 crashed into a wooded hill and was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. The sole survivor was the General's personal nurse, Michèle Renard, who was rescued from the wreckage. While most sources, including the detailed victim list from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, record 19 fatalities out of 20 occupants, the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) Wikibase reports 16 fatalities out of 17 occupants.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the crew's failure to follow published departure procedures, resulting in controlled flight into terrain. While the exact reason for the incorrect turn was not definitively proven, the investigation highlighted extreme crew fatigue as a likely contributing factor due to the sudden advancement of the flight's departure time. The aircraft was operating normally prior to the impact, and the pilot acknowledged the controller's corrective instructions just seconds before the crash.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Standard Instrument Departure (SID)
The published procedure for Gillot Airport required a left turn toward the ocean to ensure terrain clearance; the crew failed to execute this maneuver.
Pratt & Whitney R-2800
The aircraft was powered by four R-2800 Double Wasp radial engines, which were not reported to have malfunctioned during the short flight.
Interesting Facts
- 01The accident is the deadliest aviation disaster in the history of La Réunion.
- 02General Charles Ailleret, Chief of Staff of the French Army, was killed along with his wife and daughter.
- 03The crew had been released for the day but were recalled for an earlier-than-planned night departure.
- 04The aircraft was a 1953-built Douglas DC-6B with manufacturer serial number 43748/314.
- 05The only survivor was the General's personal nurse, Michèle Renard.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Crew Rest Requirements
Source ↗The investigation highlighted the critical importance of adhering to established crew rest requirements. It was noted that the sudden advancement of the flight's departure time significantly reduced the crew's rest period, leading to fatigue that likely contributed to the navigational error during the night departure.