-
Tonight we will look at the Caravelle Crash, 11th Septembre 1968 and the
-
It took off from Corsica and it never arrived in Nice, it crashed off the Cap d'Antibe killing all 95
-
aboard. The authorities declared a non lieu saying a fire caused the accident. But for many years the
-
families feel that the state and perhaps the army, without any proof at the moment are in some way implicated
-
in this crash.
-
At 10.33 the Caravelle took off from Ajaccio minutes later the plane would land in Nice Cote d'Azur airport. Whey and how should a fire have broken
-
out what hapened after the pilot sent his message, why the plane exploded in mid flight and not when it hit the water. Three questions
-
still without a reply the catastrophy caused 95 victims.
-
The last flight of the Caravelle F_ BOHB
-
In the airport of Campo delaru a walker who happened to take the last photo of the Caravelle F-HBOB.
-
A few minutes later it took off for Nice, but on making the approach to Nice the pilot mentions a fire,
-
the plane is in difficulites he mentions the inevitability of a crash.
-
they were his last words before the plane disappeared from the radar screens at 10.34
-
When the emergency services arrived off the coast of the Cote d'Antibes it was a moment of horror.
-
The odor of kersosene was heavy in the air 95 persons lost their life, six of them members of staff.
-
Only a few bodies and a few personal effects were found the pieces of the Caravelle, had sunk.
-
A few days later in Nice the requiem ceremonies showed the familes pain.
-
A dense silent crowd gathered around the Centre of Civil Protection.
-
Where the bodies were kept.
-
In Corse despite the terrible shock no one new what had caused the crase.
-
In Nice whilst it was made known that the right engine had been replaced three days previously
-
The hypothosis of a fire was mooted.
-
An investigation was opened and during this period of four months other Caravelles crashed for unknown reasons.
-
the crash in Algeria in 69, a fire in electrical system.
-
In a hanger in Orly, one went on fire due to the heater.
-
For Ajaccio-Nice the judge declared a Non-lieu, the official these was a unknown fire.
-
Pierre Gimart, was the radio controller who last spoke to the pilot, he confirms this liklihood of this hypothesis.
-
He states the pilot had not mentioned an impact or an engine on fire.
-
Did he not mention the word engine"no, no, no I have the start of a fire on board"
-
He started to descend, I suppose it was the proceedure. We were listening.
-
My collegue said "message received" , Did he seem panicked? Not at all!
-
Always with an inperturbable calm he said "I don't think I can land, I'm going to crash"
-
According to the journalist the airline staff seemed anguished.
-
An airline breguer passing even intercepted a conversation, My God the fire is gaining we will never
-
get to Nice.
-
These phrases and others are not in the official report.
-
A few days after the crash the doubts install amongst the population.
-
about the origin of the crash.
-
A few talked about an attempt as they had curiously found bullets in part of the toilet.
-
A rumour started that an error in the trajectory of a missille, attracted by the heat of the engines.
-
This rumour became tenacious when it was found that 11 September 68,
-
at the moment of the crash, military exercises were taking place.
-
In the Mediteranian, surveilled by Radar centre Mont Angel.
-
near Monaco, a team of TV journalists were there.
-
By chance a sound tecnician recorded a conversation in the room.
-
When he went to develop the recording in offices of France3 Antibe.
-
A colleague technician states he heard amongts the conversations.
-
"It has escaped us, It has escaped us"!
-
"We've lost it, we've lost it"!.
-
We were discussing what we had heard and were asking ourselves questions.
-
When two persons from the Renseignment Generaux (captains) came to ask for the recording and took it away.
-
A recoding that was seized and never figured in the final report.
-
For Mathieu et Louis Paoli who lost their mother and father in the catastrophy.
-
Its the first of many issues in an investigation they say is graving incomplete.
-
They believe in the idea of a missile hitting the plane.
-
Especially when they found a letter written by a member of the Investigating Commission.
-
Jean Dupont, pilot and inspector in Air France had not understood.
-
Why the radar films of the Caravelle had been hidden from him.
-
Then released some five months later and the report of hypothesis that he was studying..
-
amonst others was modified without his agreement.
-
This is exactly what he wrote "much more serious the chapter dealing with
-
the potential of a collision with a missile was completely changed.
-
In his letters that he sent at the time he says its in 1968.
-
His says "if anything happens to me at all, sickness or accidents
-
you must look to those responsible in the military authorities and the State.
-
This member of the Investigating Commission he felt threatened? "Oh yes, he felt threatened!
-
Nothing happened to Jean Dupont who died of natural causes.
-
But in his letters he insists in verifying the declaration made by the military.
-
That they had not fired missiles that day.
-
A surprising declaration as on that day, a team of TV journalists to RTF,
-
were in Mont Angel to watch aerial interception exercises, with non armed planes.
-
According to official declarations launches of Titan Ground to Air missiles
-
were planned it suffices to look at the newpapers Le provencal,
-
which warns people that there will be missile launches 11 September and 12th.
-
Curiously this information is not in the final report.
-
Jean Philippe who lived close to base and often climbed and walked in the area, remembers as a teenager.
-
"the policemen would not allow near the blockade explaining to us,
-
they were doing secret experiements. We knew what that meant,
-
as each time they were firing from Isle de Levant the technicians would install
-
a large machine on the roof of the building and would follow
-
the missile firing using this machine. We went off to play in another area.
-
11 Septembre 1968 Ange was in a boat with his father.
-
near the Cap d'Antibe he did not see the missile not the crash.
-
but the FBOH-B passed over his head.
-
It seemed ok, it was a bit bizarre because there was not normally planes there.
-
but we saw a hole in the body of the plane it was black, it did not go the whole way through.
-
Smoke was coming out of it, but the plane was flying ok, but very low.
-
Ange did not hear the explosion but Vitien who was playing golf that morning.
-
He confirms seeing the plane and a strange blue light
-
that came from behind the plane and hit from behind the plane
-
after that came an explosion that cut the Caravelle in two.
-
The journalists reported seeing balls of fire falling into the ocean.
-
These were never reported in the main investigation.
-
As for Etienne he said what he had seen a few times and was never interviewed by the judge, then he kept quiet
-
he claims that he feels guitly now
-
"to see 95 people die in front of you made me sick".
-
"I've had it on my conscience all these years". You are still emotional Etienne.
-
"Yes of course". Why did you not say anything?
-
"One always said to me "you must not say anything"
-
I risked ... I had a family! Did you think you would be killed by someone?
-
I was afraid.... afraid!
-
Etienne was not the only one not to talk.. at the time the voice of the State
-
all powerful could not be called into question. There was a
-
Ministry of Information which controlled the media and all information about the affair.
-
even controlled the official journal where the report would be published.
-
This fear of saying what one feared one knew was widespread.
-
Monsieur Laty also felt this fear and its only in 2011 that he explains for the first time,
-
to have transcribed a confidential military document when he was in the marines,
-
in a post in the Department of the Varres.
-
"I had to note, because I was the secretary of the captain M..Blanc of the organisation.
-
I had to transcribe of the investigating commission.
-
What happened was there was an exercies, a target airplane (drone?) passed
-
which was to pass the exercise was to fire on the target plane with
-
ground to air which was not armed. It was just to fire it.....
-
and then the Caravelle arrived it was the Caravelle was taken as the target...
-
Monsieur Laty has given a written an official written testament,
-
so that it can be eventually used in the legal process
-
Other evidence concerns the black box found in 1971 at 2000 ft depth
-
if the black box has not deteriorated after two years at the bottom of the sea
-
valuable information can be gleaned for the investigation into
-
the causes of this crash.
-
But, as it happens the report noted that the black box was not usable
-
and they could not find the cause of the fire.
-
However, today a man who lives abroad his friend, Jean Pierre, who he knew well, had analysed the tape in the black box
-
confessed to him in confidence "he was very reserved he would
-
not have told everyone"... what did he say about the black box?
-
He said they were found they were analysed and contrary to
-
what was reported there was indeed perforation of the exterior of the plane
-
did he employ the term missile or not? "No he did not ... one
-
could suppose it was a missile.
-
No one can tell us now where this black box is... nor indeed
-
the eight tonnes of wreakage found after the crash
-
the article in France-Soir 1971 shows that bits of the fusilage
-
were brought to a hanger of Aerospacial in Toulouse...
-
we contacted Airbus in Toulouse but also the BEA
-
Office of Accident Investigation in Paris, no-one knows where
-
the debris has gone, perhaps destroyed or lost.
-
One of the authors of "Secrets of State", confirms that other
-
pieces of wreakage were found and brought to the marine base in Toulon.
-
"we found incontestable documentary evidence that proves, that proves that some
-
pieces of wrekage were taken to Toulon in secret. We have
-
a witness that also confirms that these pices were taken there in 1971
-
Very curiously, the plane was civilian and owned by Air France
-
Air France would not answer our questions and by email
-
advised us to contact the Ministry of Defense.
-
The same minister has refused for some years systematically to talk to us
-
therefore it is impossible for us in this investigation to give
-
you the military version, total mute/no comment from the military
-
Each year on the 11 september in Nice and Ajaccio pay
-
homage to the 95 persons killed, for the family and friends
-
the pain is intact.
-
Marie Claude Coni lost her father in the crash, the General Coni
-
great survivor of concentration camps before becoming
-
an emblematic member of the army. In 2011 his daughter
-
has forgotten nothing... "nothing after a ceremony like this, I
-
must say that one has a lump in ones throat, very close to
-
those who are no longer here."there is a lot of emotion still, 43 years
-
after, so?" "yes, yes...."
-
The drama for the relatives is that there is no real grave
-
because nearly all the bodies were never found. So in Ajaccio and Nice
-
there is a memorial of metal plunging into the sea
-
Vivianne is here to listen to the names of the brother and sister
-
she lost.... 22 and 20 years they went off, there is only me
-
and my younger sister who have both suffered because of this.
-
We were a family decimated by the accident. Now I want to
-
know everything, everything. I explode, I want to know...
-
Leave the doubt, was there yes or no a missile fired or was it a fire
-
The families launched for more information ...
-
"now there are many people who are older who wish to lighten
-
their concience...,, I ask them, truely, you must do it..
-
Its for the good of 95 people but for human nature, simply.
-
I invite them to contact be it my uncles or the Association
-
for any indications that could throw light on this affair.
-
We ask nothing, we ask for the truth so that all this ends.. for peace
-
The wish to find the truth is also apparent is also evident
-
concerning some politicians, such as those who attended the recent commemorative ceremony.
-
"I think that today its not a question of taboo, our country
-
has its obligations. We are doing it today for the Rio de Janero
-
disaster which happened just a year ago. I think we have an
-
obligation to do it even to go back 43 years.
-
| have followed the affair and now I am persuaded that it was a missile
-
which hit this avion, from Isle de Levant, from Le Plateau d'albion..
-
we must not forget Le Plateau.." "What makes you say these things".
-
Many things, firstly the "mutism" absolute silence of the army
-
The obstinate quest for truth by the victims families continues...
-
In Cosica the Assembly is moving, posing a clear question
-
If there are remains of the plane in the Cap D'Antibe.
-
The only real way of knowing if the thesis is true or not is to
-
find the wreakage of the plane and verify the point of impact
-
Sir are you willing to ask the State to find and investigate the
-
remains of the Caravelle?
-
Yes I am in agreement to ask the authorities to find and make
-
every effort as has been done for the recent Air France crash from Rio.
-
and also to de-classify all the documents relating to the search for truth.
-
The government through the Minister for Justice says they have
-
no plans to search for the wreakage.
-
To protest the Corsican Assembly has mooted a subscription??
-
in order to find private funding to find the plane.
-
The operation could cost 2 million euro, confirms Michelle
-
Tomray a specialist in marine geology. He says that even
-
after 40 the rust would not have ruined the wreakage.
-
the technique he employs allows him to be very precise as
-
when he found another plane weakage in the Med..
-
We do a ecography underwater...we can map and we can if
-
the resolution is carefully chosen see great detail.
-
The government underlines that only a judicial decision can allow research
-
For many years the Association has made several attempts, in particular
-
a case of involuntary homicide against the Military,
-
All cases will run into the problem of time lapse.
-
One of the first things one said to me one had posed????
-
State Secrets on the judge.. one has never done this.
-
I understand that one needs to find the truth.. but one should
-
not have left the time pass like this.
-
Its often difficult to find truth in this type of case, especially
-
after the event. But you realise 40 years ago.. there are articles...
-
yes I read them with interest but I do not see a way in law
-
to re-open this affair. I promise you I would if I could ...
-
Matthieu and Louis Paoli do not still live in serenity,...
-
Whilst one had 95 people dead, a case full on concrete facts.
-
We should not talk about time lapse ... its disgraceful.
-
Truth, what can time do to truth, it is 40 years we have been searching
-
We are in mourning for 43 years and searching for truth..we will find it.
-
Just yesterday, the solicitors for the Association have put a
-
new case, and feel the case can be re-opened. If the sound recording
-
taken in the offices in France3 and a secretary typed a confidential
-
report. He then must have missed certain vital elements and this
-
puts into question the "time lapse".
-
If the judge at the time had heard these recordings, perhaps
-
the investigation would not have ended in a non-lieu?
-
The fact that obstacles were put in front of the search for truth in this affair.
-
The judge must look at all this and decide on this new argument
-
and make his decision.
-
Meanwhile the Paoli brothers return to the empty family tomb