- Title: FRANCE: MOUNT CANIGOU PLANE CRASH BODIES RECOVERED
- Date: 9th October 1961
- Summary: 1. SV AIRCRAFT RUDDER FLAPS IN WIND 0.05 2. SV PAN..WRECKAGE PAN UP ROCKY TERRAIN 0.13 3. LV RESCUE PARTY AT WORK ON AIRCRAFT 0.17 4. CU UPTURNED WHEEL 0.31 5. SV PAN..WRECKAGE 0.25 6. LV.DITTO 0.28 7. LV PAN..SCATTERED AIRCRAFT SECTIONS 0.34 8. STV RESCUERS SEARCH WRECKAGE 0.37 9. SV BODY MOVED FROM WRECKAGE 0.41 10. ANGLE V..WRECKAGE AND RESCUERS 0.46 11. SCU BODY CARRIED FROM WRECKAGE 0.51 12. SCU BODY HAULED ACROSS ROCKS 0.56 13. SV..DITTO 1.02 14. ANGLE V..RESCUE PARTY WITH BODIES HAULED ON TO ROPE 1.07 15. LV TO SCU..RESCUERS DESCENDING 1.15 16. LV AMBULANCE CARRYING BODIES, BACKS UP TO CHAPEL 1.19 17. LV AMBULANCE OUTSIDE 1.23 18. SV CHAPEL ENTRANCE 1.26 19. TV PAN..PEOPLE PUTSIDE CHAPEL 1.30 Initials DD/S/WS/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th October 1961 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOUNT CANIGOU, EAST PYRENEES, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVA2UGZPE57ZM533EYTB7SVLWOLO
- Story Text: THE TAILPLANE OF A WRECKED AIRLINER, ITS RUDDER SWINGING BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS IN THE HARSH MOUNTAIN WIND, DOMINATES THE SITE SOME 6,800 FEET UP IN THE EAST PYRENEES WHERE A BRITISH "DAKMASTER" CARRYING 30 HOLIDAY MAKERS, A COURIER AND A CREW OF THREE CRASHED IN THE EARLY HOURS OF OCT 7 WITH TOTAL LOSS OF LIFE.
A HUNDRED MOUNTAIN RESCUE WORKERS SET OFF AT DAWN OCT 8 TO MAKE THE DIFFICULT ASCENT TO THE WRECK WHICH LAY ON A STEEP RIDGE IN RUGGED FOREST NEAR THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT CANIGOU. AS THE CLOUD BASE WAS AROUND 6,000 FEET HELICOPTERS COULD NOT LAND AND RESCUE WORKERS AND MEMBERS OF THE INVESTIGATING TEAMS HAD TO CLIMB TO THE SPOT ON FOOT. BODIES HAD TO BE CARRIED DOWN THE MOUNTAIN TO THE NEAREST TRACK - AN HOUR'S JOURNEY AWAY. LORRIES WAITED TO CARRY THE BODIES TO THE TOWN OF PARADES.
ACCORDING TO RESCUE WORKERS, THE AIRCRAFT, ON ITS WAY FROM GATWICK, UK, TO PERPIGNAN, FRANCE, WITH PASSENGERS BOUND FOR THE SPANISH COSTA BRAVA, SEEMS TO HAVE FLOWN STRAIGHT INTO THE MOUNTAIN, CARVING ITS WAY THROUGH PINE TREES AND SCATTERING WRECKAGE OVER A WIDE AREA ON THE SLOPES. A WRISTWATCH FOUND ON ONE OF THE VICTIMS WAS SAID TO HAVE STOPPED AT 2.5 A.K. THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED AFTER AN INTENSIVE NINE-HOUR AIR SEARCH. SNOW AND HIGH WINDS DELAYED THE RESCUE TEAMS.
IN PARADES THE BODIES WERE TAKEN TO THE CHAPEL, DECORATED WITH FLOWERS AND UNION JACKS AND TRICOLOURS BY THE TOWNSPEOPLE. A TEAM OF DOCTORS AND POLICE WORKED AT THE GRIM TASK OF IDENTIFYING AND EMBALMING THE BODIES. A POLICE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT SEVERE BURNS AND MUTILATIONS WOULD MAKE IDENTIFICATION VERY DIFFICULT. THE BODIES WILL BE FLOWN HOME FOR BURIAL.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVNE AIR CRASHES IN THE IMMEDIATE REGION OF MOUNT CANIGOU IN THE PAST TEN YEARS.
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