1963 Air Nautic Vickers Viking crash
 A Vickers Viking, similar to the aircraft involved | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 12 September 1963 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain |
| Site | Py, France 42°28′44″N 2°24′36″E / 42.47889°N 2.41000°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Vickers VC.1 Viking |
| Operator | Air Nautic |
| Registration | F-BJER |
| Flight origin | London-Gatwick Airport, London, United Kingdom |
| Destination | Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport, Perpignan, France |
| Occupants | 40 |
| Passengers | 36 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Fatalities | 40 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On 12 September 1963, a Vickers Viking of Air Nautic (also referred as AirNautic) operating as a charter passenger flight from London-Gatwick to Perpignan crashed into the north face of the Canigó mountain near the small town of Py in France. In the accident, all 40 occupants were killed.
It was the second fatal air crash in less than a year for Air Nautic. On 29 December 1962, 25 people had been killed in the crash of an Air Nautic Boeing 307.[1][2][3]
Investigation
The accident was investigated by the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA).
In June 1964, the BEA published their findings. The crew made navigation errors after selecting a direct route without reporting their position. Weather conditions were poor and there was limited equipment in Perpignan. The crew also failed to use the Toulouse and Istres VORs for accurate positioning. Air Nautic was aware that the captain and the copilot did not meet the required qualifications for operating a public transport aircraft. Additionally, Air Nautic did not provide the crew with operational instructions that might have prevented the accident. Finally, the crew was in a state of fatigue, which may have affected their performance.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Accident description". aviation-safety.net.
- ^ "Un avion français s'érase sur les Pyrénées". www.lemonde.fr. 13 September 1963. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Les sauveteurs ont atteint les pentes du mont Renoso sur lesquelles s'est écrasé l'avion Bastia-Nice. Il n'y a aucun survivant". www.lemonde.fr. January 1963. Retrieved 14 July 2025..
- ^ "Rapport final de la commission chargée de l'enquête sur l'accident survenu le 12 septembre 1963 à Py (Pyrénées-Orientales) l'avion Viking F-BJER de la Compagnie Air Nautic" [Final report of the commission of inquiry into the accident which occurred on September 12, 1963 in Py.] (PDF) (in French). Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety. 21 September 1966. Retrieved 14 July 2025.