1970 Berrechid Royal Air Maroc Caravelle crash explained

Occurrence Type:Accident
Summary:Crash resulting from avoiding the town of Berrechid, Morocco.
Site:Berrechid, Morocco
Aircraft Type:Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III
Operator:Royal Air Maroc - RAM
Tail Number:CN-CCV
Origin:Agadir, Morocco
Stopover:Casablanca, Morocco
Destination:Paris, France
Passengers:76
Crew:6
Fatalities:61[1] —65
Survivors:17–21

The 1970 Berrechid crash was an aviation incident involving a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III on a route between Agadir and Paris,[2] with a stopover in Casablanca.

During the descent, the airplane lost altitude near Berrechid, a city around 30 kilometers from the intermediate stop Casablanca.

The crash resulted in 61 fatalities, with 21 survivors, six of whom were in critical condition.[3] It was reported that four more people died later in hospital.

Crash

The crash was reported to have been a result of the plane dodging to avoid the town of Berrechid, Morocco. There is contention as to whether the aircraft hit high-voltage wires before crashing. The aircraft crashed on El Gara road, and spread debris over a area.[4] The pilot attempted to land in a field, and a 50m (160feet) long furrow was created in the field.[5] The crash site was near a narrow road.[6]

61 people were killed directly after the crash. Four other people died later in the hospital of Casablanca. Several other survivors were in critical condition. Most of the people onboard were French and Moroccan citizens.[7]

Aftermath

The aircraft was damaged beyond repair, and the fuselage broke in two. The front part of the aircraft was severely burned, while the tail damage was less severe.

Aircraft

At the time of the crash, the aircraft was a 9 years and 11 months old Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle registered under CN-CCV.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III CN-CCV Berrechid . 2023-11-19 . aviation-safety.net.
  2. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III CN-CCV Berrechid . 2023-11-19 . Aviation Safety Network.
  3. News: 1970-04-02 . 61 KILLED IN CRASH OF MOROCCAN PLANE . 2023-11-19 . The New York Times . 0362-4331.
  4. News: 1970-04-01 . Air crash kills 61 in Morocco . 2023-11-19 . The Boston Globe . 5 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: 1970-04-03 . L'accident de la Caravelle d'Air Maroc a fait 61 morts . Air Maroc Caravelle accident leaves 61 dead . 2023-11-19 . Le Monde.fr . fr.
  6. News: 1 April 1970 . Vliegtuig met 82 inzittenden neergestort . Plane crashed with 82 people on board . . nl . Delpher.
  7. News: 2 April 1970 . Bij vliegramp in Marokkko 65 doden . 65 dead in air disaster in Morocco . . nl . Delpher.