Air France Flight 1611
Air France Flight 1611 (AF1611) was a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III en route from Ajaccio, in the island of Corsica, to Nice, France, on 11 September 1968 when it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Nice, killing all 95 on board. According to the official report, the crash was non-survivable. The Ajaccio-Nice Caravelle crash is the deadliest aviation incident in the Mediterranean Sea to date. However for unknown reasons, all documents & photos related to the accident have been kept classified.
A Caravelle similar to the one involved. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 11 September 1968 |
| Summary | Loss of control after a fire in rear cabin of uncertain origin |
| Site | Mediterranean Sea 43°17′07″N 7°13′25″E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | SE-210 Caravelle III |
| Aircraft name | Béarn |
| Operator | Air France |
| Registration | F-BOHB |
| Flight origin | Ajaccio-Campo Dell'Oro Airport |
| Destination | Nice (Aéroport de Nice-Côte d'Azur) |
| Occupants | 95 |
| Passengers | 89 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 95 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The probable cause was attributed to a fire of uncertain origin which originated in the rear of the cabin. There was early speculation that the plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile, since there is a firing area not far from the crash site. Although the hypothesis was officially discarded by the inquiry board, many victims' relatives still have doubts and have asked to have access to classified documents about the event.