ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 75477
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| Date: | Monday 31 July 1944 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Lockheed F-5B-1-LO Lightning |
| Owner/operator: | GC 11/33 FFAF |
| Registration: | 42-68223 |
| MSN: | 422-2734 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | sea off Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône 13 -
 France
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Bastia, Corsica |
| Bastia, Corsica |
The Lockheed F-5B took off from its base at Borgo-Porreta on Corsica to carry out a photo-reconnaissance flight over German forces in the Alps and the Rhone Valley.
The pilot was the notable French airman and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
At 44 years old de Saint-Exupery was known to be suffering pain from injuries received in flying accidents earlier in his career and from depression.
He never returned from this flight, and several days later an unidentifiable body, in French uniform, was found at the shore of Carqueiranne (east of Toulon). This body was probably that of Saint-Exupéry.
In 2000 disintegrated wreckage was found at a depth between 40 to 85 metres in the sea south of Marseille, formally identified as Lightning 42-68223.
In 2008 a former Luftwaffe pilot claimed to have shot down "an Allied twin rudder plane", between Toulon and Marseille, but this claim is treated with scepticism by authorities.
Sources:
Personnal work/Travail personnel.
Images:
Main and last remains found at sea of the P-38/F-5B # 42-68223. Picture credit : Aéro-Re.L.I.C. www.aero-relic.org
©Planes Of Legend 2006 - Le Bourget
©Planes Of Legend 2006 - Le Bourget
©Planes Of Legend 2006 - Le Bourget
©Planes Of Legend 2006 - Le Bourget
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Jul-2010 15:42 | angels one five | Added |
| 04-Jul-2010 15:47 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 30-Sep-2010 00:37 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 26-Apr-2013 00:27 | Cépé | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 28-May-2013 08:26 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 03-Jan-2015 02:12 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 17-Sep-2019 20:30 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 13-Oct-2020 11:42 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo] |
| 13-Oct-2020 11:42 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo] |
| 13-Oct-2020 11:43 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo] |
| 13-Oct-2020 11:43 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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