Air France has been in operation since 1933. Its aircraft have been involved in a number of major accidents and incidents. The deadliest accident of the airline occurred on June 1, 2009, when Air France Flight 447, an Airbus A330-203, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean with 228 fatalities. A selected list of the most noteworthy of these events is given below.
Date | Aircraft type | Registration | Route | Location of crash site | Passenger/crew/total | Dead/injured | Cause of crash | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 January 1934 | Dewoitine D.332 | F-AMMY[1] | Saigon–Paris | Corbigny, France | 7 / 3 / 10 | 10 / 0 | Crashed, possibly due to icing, after flying into a snowstorm | Named Emeraude |
9 May 1934 | Wibault 282T-12 | F-AMHP | Le Bourget–Croydon | English Channel off Dungeness, Kent, United Kingdom | 3 / 3 / 6 | 6 / 0 | Undetermined | Some debris and a body found on the French coast on 18 May |
19 May 1934 | Golden Clipper | Unknown | Unknown | Croydon Airport, Surrey, United Kingdom | ? / ? / 10 | 0 / 1 | Fuel exhaustion | [2] |
31 May 1934 | Lioré et Olivier LeO 213 | F-AIVG | Croydon–Paris | Croydon | 0 / 2 / 2 | 2 / 0 | Struck a radio mast shortly after takeoff | |
5 August 1934 | Latécoère 26-2R | F-AILK | Unknown | Near Bahia, Brazil | 0 / 2 / 2 | 2 / 0 | Loss of control on takeoff for reasons unknown | |
1 April 1935 | Farman F.306 | F-ALHQ | Paris–Croydon | Brémontier-Merval | 1 / 2 / 3 | 1 / 0 | Loss of control | |
2 November 1935 | Latécoère 28-1 | F-AJIQ | Santiago de Chile–Paris | Off Aracaju, Brazil | 0 / 4 / 4 | 4 / 0 | Crashed at sea for reasons unknown | Wreckage and bodies found a day later |
11 November 1935 | Latécoère 28-1 | F-AJPB | Marseille–Barcelona | Near Istres, France | 0 / 3 / 3 | 3 / 0 | Crashed while flying in a thunderstorm | |
21 January 1936 | CAMS 53/1 | F-AJIR | Marseille–Tunis | Corsica | 3 / 3 / 6 | 6 / 0 | Loss of control following engine failure | |
10 February 1936 | Latécoère 301 | F-AOIK | Paris–Rio de Janeiro | Atlantic Ocean | 1 / 5 / 6 | 6 / 0 | Disappeared after messaging that they were flying in a storm | Named Ville de Buenos Aires |
8 May 1936 | Lioré et Olivier LeO H-242 | F-ANQG | Marseille–Algiers | Mediterranean Sea | 4 / 4 / 8 | 1 / 0 | Ditched after all four engines failed due to fuel starvation | Named Ville de Nice |
2 August 1936 | Wibault 283.T12 | F-ANBL | Paris–Toulouse–Dakar–Natal–Rio de Janeiro | Albine, Tarn | 0 / 3 / 3 | 3 / 0 | CFIT | Named L'Aventureux |
7 December 1936 | Latécoère 300 | F-AKGF[3] | Marseille–Rio de Janeiro | Atlantic Ocean | 0 / 5 / 5 | 5 / 0 | Disappeared after pilot messaged "we have switched off the right rear engine" | Named Croix du Sud
Aviator Jean Mermoz was on board |
27 October 1937 | Dewoitine D.333 | F-ANQA[4] | Dakar–Toulouse | Off El Jadida, Morocco | 3 / 3 / 6 | 6 / 0 | Disappeared over the Atlantic after sending an SOS | Named Antares
Only two mail bags recovered on beaches in Morocco |
8 December 1937 | Potez 621 | F-AOTZ[5] | Paris–Marseille | Near Saillans, France | 4 / 3 / 7 | 2 / 5 | Poor visibility, CFIT | Named L'Épervier |
9 February 1938 | Lioré et Olivier H.242/1 | F-ANPB[6] | Marseille–Tunis | Etang de Berre | 9 / 5 / 14 | 7 / 0 | Struck breakwater in fog | Named Ville de Bone |
7 March 1938 | Potez 62/1 | F-ANQR[7] | Hanoi–Paris | [Datia, near Jhansi], India | 3 / 4 / 7 | 7 / 0 | Crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff | Named La Tapageuse
Burials at Jhansi Cantonment Cemetery |
23 March 1938 | Dewoitine D.338 | F-AQBB[8] | Dakar–Toulouse | Pyrenees Mountains | 3 / 5 / 8 | 8 / 8 | CFIT | |
27 January 1939 | Potez 62 | F-ANPJ[9] | Paris–Berlin | Near Butzweilerhof Airfield, Germany | 2 / 4 / 6 | 6 / 0 | Struck a chimney in fog | Named Courlis |
3 April 1939 | Caudron Simoun | F-AOOT[10] | Unknown | Mountain near Marrakech, Morocco | ? / ? / 9 | 9 / 0 | CFIT | |
2 May 1939 | Dewoitine D.338 | F-ARIC[11] | Dakar–Casablanca–Paris | Near Argana, Morocco | 6 / 3 / 9 | 9 / 0 | Icing, loss of control |
Date | Aircraft type | Registration | Route | Location of crash site | Passenger/crew/total | Dead/injured | Cause of crash | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 March 1940 | Bloch MB.220 | F-AOHA [12] | Paris–Marseille | near Orange, France | 0 / 3 / 3 | 3 / 0 | CFIT in bad weather due to a navigation error | |
20 June 1940 | Dewoitine D.338 | F-ARTD[13] | Unknown | near Ouistreham | 0 / 3 / 3 | 1 / 0 | Accidental shootdown | |
7 July 1940 | F-AQBA[14] | Unknown | Gulf of Tonkin | 0 / 4 / 4 | 4 / 0 | Shot down by Japanese fighter | ||
10 October 1940 | F-AQBJ[15] | Niamey–Cotonou | Carnotville, Benin | 0 / 3 / 3 | 3 / 0 | CFIT in poor weather | ||
27 November 1940 | SNCAC NC.223.4 | F-AROA[16] | Marseille–Damascus | Mediterranean Sea | 5 / 2 / 7 | 7 / 0 | Shot down after flying into the battle zone off Cape Spartivento (likely) | named Le Verrier |
1 September 1941 | Bloch MB.220 | F-AQNL[17] | Marseille–Toulouse | Bollemont | 14 / 3 / 17 | 15 / 2 | Engine failure during takeoff | |
13 August 1942 | Lioré et Olivier H-246.1 | F-AREJ[18] | Marseille–Algiers | Algiers | 4 / 6 / 10 | 4 / 0 | Attacked by RAF Hawker Hurricane fighters, sank after landing | named Mauritanie |
27 September 1942 | Dewoitine D.342 | F-ARIZ[19] | Paris–Dakar | Ameur-el-Aïn, Algeria | 18 / 7 / 25 | 25 / 0 | Loss of control after takeoff for reasons unknown; possible bombing | |
13 January 1943 | Lockheed 14H2 Super Electra | F-ARRF[20] | Dakar–Algiers | Aguelhok, Mali | 0 / 3 / 3 | 3 / 0 | Engine failure | |
23 August 1945 | Lockheed Lodestar | F-ARTK | Unknown | off Algiers | 3 / 4 / 7 | 7 / 0 | Loss of control, crashed at sea for reasons unknown | Wreckage never recovered |
10 September 1945 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BAJP[21] | Unknown | Le Bourget Airport | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
31 October 1945 | Latécoère 631 | F-BANT[22] | Unknown | Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay | 2+ / ? / 2+ | 2 / ? | Propeller separation, fuselage penetration | |
10 November 1945 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BANO[23] | Unknown | Le Bourget Airport | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
23 November 1945 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BAKL[24] | Unknown | Toulouse | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
25 December 1945 | Lockheed C-60A Lodestar | F-BALV[23] | Paris–Fort Lamy–Bangui–Antananarivo | near Bangui | 5 / 3 / 8 | 8 / 0 | Loss of control | Prince Vinh San of Vietnam killed Aircraft leased from the Ministry of Air |
13 January 1946 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BANP[25] | Paris–Bordeaux | Le Bouscat, Bordeaux, France | 0 / 2 / 2 | 2 / 0 | Struck a church steeple | |
29 June 1946 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BAJS[26] | Paris–Pau | near Pau | 0 / 3 / 3 | 2 / 0 | Struck power lines on approach | |
8 August 1946 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BAJT[27] | Unknown | Le Bourget Airport | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
3 September 1946 | Douglas DC-3A | F-BAOB[28] | Copenhagen–Paris | Køge, Denmark | 17 / 5 / 22 | 22 / 0 | Engine fire caused by fuel leak, CFIT | |
4 September 1946 | Douglas DC-3D | F-BAXD[29] | Paris–London | near Le Bourget Airport | 21 / 5 / 26 | 20 / 6 | Unexplained loss of power resulting in loss of altitude on takeoff | Killed Air France's first flight attendant, Paulette Vavasseur; one person also died on the ground; amongst the survivors was the English actor John Slater and his wife Betty[30] |
1 February 1947 | Douglas C-47A | F-BAXQ[31] | Paris–Bordeaux–Lisbon | Serra de Sintra | 11 / 5 / 16 | 15 / ? | CFIT | |
5 March 1947 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BAKP[32] | Unknown | Le Bourget Airport | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
14 March 1947 | Douglas C-47A | F-BAXO[33] | Nice–Lyon–Paris | Mont Moucherolle | 18 / 5 / 23 | 23 / 0 | Possible navigation error, CFIT | |
4 June 1947 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BANB[34] | Nice–Marseille–Lyon–Paris | Gèmenos, France | 3 / 0 / 3 | 3 / 0 | ADF failure, CFIT | |
7 June 1947 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BAKV[35] | Unknown | Yoff Airport | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
1 July 1947 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BALF (AF612)[36] |
Bangui–Yaounde–Douala | Eséka, Cameroon | 10 / 3 / 13 | 13 / 0 | CFIT | |
4 October 1947 | Amiot AAC.1 | F-BAJB[37] | Unknown | Pau, France | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
7 October 1947 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BATY[38] | Bône–Paris | Bône (now Annaba), Algeria | ? / ? / ? | 0 / ? | Landing gear failure, overran and crashed on takeoff | |
6 January 1948 | Douglas DC-3D | F-BAXC (AF122)[39] |
Brussels–Paris | near Gonesse | 11 / 5 / 16 | 16 / 0 | Possible stall on approach | |
26 January 1948 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BCUC[40] | None | Romainville, Paris | 0 / 9 / 9 | 9 / 0 | Loss of control | |
4 February 1948 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BATK[41] | Unknown | Marignane Airport | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
10 February 1948 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BATH[42] | Unknown | Orly Airport | Unknown | Unknown | Written off | |
10 April 1948 | Douglas DC-4-1009 | F-BBDC[43] | Lagos–Kano–Algiers–Paris | Kano Airport | 0 / 6 / 6 | 1 / ? | Locked nosewheel, runway excursion | |
14 June 1948 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BATG[44] | None | Coulommiers Airport | ? / ? / 9 | 0 / 0 | Caught fire during refueling, burned out | |
1 August 1948 | Latécoère 631 | F-BDRC (AF072) | Fort de France–Port-Etienne–Paris | Atlantic Ocean | 41 / 11 / 52 | 52 / 0 | Ditching at sea for reasons unknown; possible in-flight fire | named Lionel de Marnier |
29 August 1948 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BATO[45] | None | Le Bourget Airport | ? / ? / ? | 0 / ? | Caught fire in hangar, burned out | |
23 November 1948 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BATM[46] | None | Montaudran Airport | 0 / 5 / 5 | 1 / ? | Maintenance error, loss of control on takeoff | |
9 April 1949 | SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc | F-BATU[47] | Paris–Nice | Nice Airport | 30 / 5 / 35 | 0 / 0 | Runway overrun | |
28 October 1949 | Lockheed L-749-79-46 Constellation | F-BAZN (AF009) | Paris–Lisbon–Santa Maria–New York | Pico da Vara | 37 / 11 / 48 | 48 / 0 | Pilot error, CFIT | Killed boxer Marcel Cerdan, violinist Ginette Neveu, some members of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and Walt Disney Studios chief merchandiser Kay Kamen[48][49] |
28 November 1949 | Douglas C-54A | F-BELO[50] | Paris–Lyon–Tunis | near Saint-Just-Chaleyssin | 33 / 5 / 38 | 5 / 0 | Pilot error, CFIT |
Air France has been the target of several hijackings, which are listed in chronological order:
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