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.
1930s DateAircraft typeRegistrationRouteLocation of crash sitePassenger / crew / totalDead / injuredCause of crashNotes15 January 1934Dewoitine D.332F-AMMYSaigon–ParisCorbigny, France7 / 3 / 1010 / 0Crashed, possibly due to icing, after flying into a snowstormNamed Emeraude9 May 1934Wibault 282T-12F-AMHPLe Bourget–CroydonEnglish Channel off Dungeness, Kent, United Kingdom3 / 3 / 66 / 0UndeterminedSome debris and a body found on the French coast on 18 May 19 May 1934Wibault 282.T12F-AMHLLe Bourget–CroydonCroydon Airport, Surrey, United Kingdom? / ? / 100 / 1Fuel exhaustion31 May 1934Lioré et Olivier LeO 213F-AIVGCroydon–ParisCroydon0 / 2 / 22 / 0Struck a radio mast shortly after takeoff5 August 1934Latécoère 26-2RF-AILKNear Bahia, Brazil0 / 2 / 22 / 0Loss of control on takeoff for reasons unknown1 April 1935Farman F.306F-ALHQParis–CroydonBrémontier-Merval1 / 2 / 31 / 0Loss of control2 November 1935Latécoère 28-1F-AJIQSantiago de Chile–ParisOff Aracaju, Brazil0 / 4 / 44 / 0Crashed at sea for reasons unknownWreckage and bodies found a day later11 November 1935Latécoère 28-1F-AJPBMarseille–BarcelonaNear Istres, France0 / 3 / 33 / 0Crashed while flying in a thunderstorm21 January 1936CAMS 53/1F-AJIRMarseille–TunisCorsica3 / 3 / 66 / 0Loss of control following engine failure10 February 1936Latécoère 301F-AOIKParis–Rio de JaneiroAtlantic Ocean1 / 5 / 66 / 0Disappeared after messaging that they were flying in a stormNamed Ville de Buenos Aires8 May 1936Lioré et Olivier LeO H-242F-ANQGMarseille–AlgiersMediterranean Sea4 / 4 / 81 / 0Ditched after all four engines failed due to fuel starvationNamed Ville de Nice2 August 1936Wibault 283.T12F-ANBLParis–Toulouse–Dakar–Natal–Rio de JaneiroAlbine, Tarn0 / 3 / 33 / 0CFITNamed L'Aventureux7 December 1936Latécoère 300F-AKGFAccident details – planecrashinfo.comMarseille–Rio de JaneiroAtlantic Ocean0 / 5 / 55 / 0Disappeared after pilot messaged "we have switched off the right rear engine"Named Croix du Sud Aviator Jean Mermoz was on board27 October 1937Dewoitine D.333F-ANQADakar–ToulouseOff El Jadida, Morocco3 / 3 / 66 / 0Disappeared over the Atlantic after sending an SOSNamed Antares Only two mail bags recovered on beaches in Morocco8 December 1937Potez 621F-AOTZParis–MarseilleNear Saillans, France4 / 3 / 72 / 5Poor visibility, CFITNamed L'Épervier24 December 1937Wibault 280F-AMYDhttp://www.leteckabadatelna.cz/havarie-a-sestrely/detail/99/https://www.idnes.cz/technet/technika/letecka-havarie-vanoce.A171223_150051_tec_technika_kuzBucharest–Vienna–PragueNear Zhůří, Rejštejn, Czechoslovakia1 / 2 / 33 / 0CFIT, navigation error9 February 1938Lioré et Olivier H.242/1F-ANPBMarseille–TunisEtang de Berre9 / 5 / 147 / 0Struck breakwater in fogNamed Ville de Bone7 March 1938Potez 62/1F-ANQRHanoi–Paris[Datia, near Jhansi], India3 / 4 / 77 / 0Crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff Named La Tapageuse Burials at Jhansi Cantonment Cemetery23 March 1938Dewoitine D.338F-AQBBDakar–ToulousePyrenees Mountains3 / 5 / 88 / 8CFIT27 January 1939Potez 62F-ANPJParis–BerlinNear Butzweilerhof Airfield, Germany2 / 4 / 66 / 0Struck a chimney in fogNamed Courlis3 April 1939Caudron SimounF-AOOTAccident details – planecrashinfo.comMountain near Marrakech, Morocco? / ? / 99 / 0CFIT2 May 1939Dewoitine D.338F-ARICDakar–Casablanca–ParisNear Argana, Morocco6 / 3 / 99 / 0Icing, loss of control
1940s DateAircraft typeRegistrationRouteLocation of crash sitePassenger / crew / totalDead / injuredCause of crashNotes3 March 1940Bloch MB.220F-AOHA Paris–Marseillenear Orange, France0 / 3 / 33 / 0CFIT in bad weather due to a navigation error20 June 1940Dewoitine D.338F-ARTDnear Ouistreham0 / 3 / 31 / 0Accidental shootdown7 July 1940F-AQBAGulf of Tonkin0 / 4 / 44 / 0Shot down by Japanese fighter10 October 1940F-AQBJNiamey–CotonouCarnotville, Benin0 / 3 / 33 / 0CFIT in poor weather27 November 1940SNCAC NC.223.4F-AROAMarseille–DamascusMediterranean Sea5 / 2 / 77 / 0Shot down after flying into the battle zone off Cape Spartivento (likely)named Le Verrier1 September 1941Bloch MB.220F-AQNLMarseille–ToulouseBollemont14 / 3 / 1715 / 2Engine failure during takeoff13 August 1942Lioré et Olivier H-246.1F-AREJMarseille–AlgiersAlgiers4 / 6 / 104 / 0Attacked by RAF Hawker Hurricane fighters, sank after landingnamed Mauritanie27 September 1942Dewoitine D.342F-ARIZParis–DakarAmeur-el-Aïn, Algeria18 / 7 / 2525 / 0Loss of control after takeoff for reasons unknown; possible bombing13 January 1943Lockheed 14H2 Super ElectraF-ARRFDakar–AlgiersAguelhok, Mali0 / 3 / 33 / 0Engine failure23 August 1945Lockheed LodestarF-ARTKoff Algiers3 / 4 / 77 / 0Loss of control, crashed at sea for reasons unknownWreckage never recovered10 September 1945Amiot AAC.1F-BAJPLe Bourget AirportWritten off31 October 1945Latécoère 631F-BANTLaguna de Rocha, Uruguay2+ / ? / 2+2 / ?Propeller separation, fuselage penetration10 November 1945Amiot AAC.1F-BANOLe Bourget AirportWritten off23 November 1945Amiot AAC.1F-BAKLToulouseWritten off25 December 1945Lockheed C-60A LodestarF-BALVParis–Fort Lamy–Bangui–Antananarivonear Bangui 5 / 3 / 8 8 / 0Loss of controlPrince Vinh San of Vietnam killedAircraft leased from the Ministry of Air13 January 1946Amiot AAC.1F-BANPParis–BordeauxLe Bouscat, Bordeaux, France0 / 2 / 22 / 0Struck a church steeple29 June 1946Amiot AAC.1F-BAJSParis–Paunear Pau0 / 3 / 32 / 0Struck power lines on approach8 August 1946Amiot AAC.1F-BAJTLe Bourget AirportWritten off3 September 1946Douglas DC-3AF-BAOBCopenhagen–ParisKøge, Denmark17 / 5 / 2222 / 0Engine fire caused by fuel leak, CFIT4 September 1946Douglas DC-3DF-BAXDParis–Londonnear Le Bourget Airport21 / 5 / 2620 / 6Unexplained loss of power resulting in loss of altitude on takeoffKilled 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 Betty1 February 1947Douglas C-47AF-BAXQParis–Bordeaux–LisbonSerra de Sintra 11 / 5 / 16 15 / ?CFIT5 March 1947Amiot AAC.1F-BAKPLe Bourget AirportWritten off14 March 1947Douglas C-47AF-BAXONice–Lyon–ParisMont Moucherolle18 / 5 / 2323 / 0Possible navigation error, CFIT4 June 1947Amiot AAC.1F-BANBNice–Marseille–Lyon–ParisGèmenos, France3 / 0 / 33 / 0ADF failure, CFIT7 June 1947Amiot AAC.1F-BAKVYoff AirportWritten off1 July 1947Amiot AAC.1F-BALF(AF612)Bangui–Yaounde–DoualaEséka, Cameroon 10 / 3 / 13 13 / 0CFIT4 October 1947Amiot AAC.1F-BAJBPau, FranceWritten off7 October 1947SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BATYBône–ParisBône (now Annaba), Algeria ? / ? / ? 0 / ?Landing gear failure, overran and crashed on takeoff6 January 1948Douglas DC-3DF-BAXC(AF122)Brussels–Parisnear Gonesse11 / 5 / 1616 / 0Possible stall on approach26 January 1948SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BCUCNoneRomainville, Paris0 / 9 / 99 / 0Loss of control4 February 1948SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BATKMarignane AirportWritten off10 February 1948SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BATHOrly AirportWritten off10 April 1948Douglas DC-4-1009F-BBDCLagos–Kano–Algiers–ParisKano Airport0 / 6 / 61 / ?Locked nosewheel, runway excursion14 June 1948SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BATGNoneCoulommiers Airport? / ? / 90 / 0Caught fire during refueling, burned out1 August 1948Latécoère 631F-BDRC (AF072)Fort de France–Port-Etienne–ParisAtlantic Ocean41 / 11 / 5252 / 0Ditching at sea for reasons unknown; possible in-flight firenamed Lionel de Marnier29 August 1948SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BATONoneLe Bourget Airport ? / ? / ? 0 / ?Caught fire in hangar, burned out23 November 1948SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BATMNoneMontaudran Airport0 / 5 / 51 / ?Maintenance error, loss of control on takeoff9 April 1949SNCASE SE.161/P7 LanguedocF-BATUParis–NiceNice Airport30 / 5 / 350 / 0Runway overrun28 October 1949Lockheed L-749-79-46 ConstellationF-BAZN (AF009)Paris–Lisbon–Santa Maria–New YorkPico da Vara37 / 11 / 4848 / 0Pilot error, CFIT Killed boxer Marcel Cerdan, violinist Ginette Neveu, some members of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and Walt Disney Studios chief merchandiser Kay KamenGabler, Neal, Walt Disney, 2007, p.47228 November 1949Douglas C-54AF-BELOParis–Lyon–Tunisnear Saint-Just-Chaleyssin33 / 5 / 385 / 0Pilot error, CFIT
1950s 22 January 1950 A Douglas DC-4-1009 (F-BBDB) burned out during maintenance at Orly Airport. During work on an engine, an inspection lamp fell into a tub of oil and fuel. The lamp glass broke, igniting the oil and fuel in the tub. The left wing was in flames before the fire was extinguished. Some parts and the tail went to the Centre d'Instruction de Vilgenis (CIV) while the nose section was used to repair a C-54 (F-BBDD) that was damaged by a SNCASE Languedoc in 1952. 16 February 1950 An Air France Douglas DC-3A (F-BAOD) overran the runway on landing at Cotonou Airport; there were no casualties. 12 and 14 June 1950 Two Air France Douglas DC-4s (F-BBDF and F-BBDM, respectively) crashed into the sea off Bahrain while landing, with a combined loss of 86 lives. The first accident claimed the lives of 40 of the 53 occupants and the second 46 out of 52. Both aircraft had operated the Karachi, Pakistan, to Bahrain portion of Air France's Saigon, Indochina – Paris sector. The accident investigators concluded that the pilot in command did not maintain his correct altitude until the runway lights became visible during the approach to Bahrain in the first accident, and that the pilot in command did not keep an accurate check of his altitude and rate of descent during the approach procedure in the second accident. In 1994, the wreckage of F-BBDM was found on the seabed. A subsequent re-investigation ruled out pilot error, sabotage and mechanical failure. Using contemporary weather reports archived in the UK, it was determined that extreme weather, now known as microbursts, brought down both DC-4s. The report was relayed to France via its embassy in Bahrain with the recommendation that the pilots be exonerated due to conditions unknown at the time and beyond their capability to counteract. 30 July 1950 A SNCASE SE.161/P7 Languedoc (F-BCUI) was written off when its undercarriage collapsed on landing at Marignane Airport, Marseille; all 31 on board survived. 3 February 1951 A Douglas DC-4-1009 (F-BBDO, named Ciel de Savoie) operating Air France's Douala, Cameroon, to Niamey, Niger, sector hit the 13,354 feet high Cameroon Mountain near Bouea, Cameroon, west of Douala, at a height of . The aircraft was destroyed, killing all 29 occupants. The mountain was probably only partially visible from the flight deck due to the mist surrounding it. Although the pilot immediately turned to the left, the plane hit the steeply rising terrain with its left wing. The accident investigators concluded that the crew followed an inaccurate procedure and relied on imprecise navigation. The investigators furthermore determined that the crew did not check the draft . Moreover, they cited the crew's error of judgement and over-confidence when flying over the mountain mass as additional contributory factors. 11 August 1951 An Air France Douglas DC-3D (F-BAXB) broke up in mid-air and crashed at Moisville during a training flight out of Le Bourget Airport, killing the five crew. 2 January 1952 An Amiot AAC.1 (F-BAMQ) crashed at Andapa, Madagascar, killing 6 of 11 on board.