59 Years ago today: On 7 October 1961 a Derby Aviation DC-3 crashed near Mt. Canigou, France, killing all 34 occupants.
| Date: | Saturday 7 October 1961 |
| Time: | 01:00 UTC |
| Type: | Douglas C-47B-30-DK Dakota 4 |
| Operator: | Derby Airways |
| Registration: | G-AMSW |
| C/n / msn: | 32919/16171 |
| First flight: | 1945 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 13658 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 31 / Occupants: 31 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 34 / Occupants: 34 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Mont Canigou ( |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Int’l Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | London-Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK), United Kingdom |
| Destination airport: | Perpignan Airport (PGF/LFMP), France |
Narrative:
The Douglas C-47 took off from Gatwick (LGW) at 20:43 UTC on a charter flight to Perpignan (PGF), France. The crew reported over Toulouse at 00:30 UTC, heading for Perpignan at FL75, and estimating an arrival over Perpignan at 01:12. In an area of intermittent rain and wind of variable forces, the plane struck a mountainside at 2200 m altitude.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: “The accident was attributed to a navigational error, the origin of which it was not possible to determine for lack of sufficient evidence.”
