​​Distracted by the Ship

On July 30, 1998, a small Beechcraft 1900D operated by Proteus Airlines was on a domestic flight from Lyon to Lorient in France. There were 12 passengers and 2 crew members on board.

As the aircraft neared its destination, one of the passengers entered the cockpit and suggested flying over the bay. That day, the world's longest cruise ship at the time, the Norway, was arriving, and he thought it would be exciting to view the engineering marvel from the air. The pilots liked the idea and decided to give the passengers a little in-flight entertainment. They received clearance from air traffic control to deviate from their route and headed toward the sea.

Descending to 1,100 meters, the crew switched from instrument flight rules (IFR) to visual flight rules (VFR). That meant they were now responsible for visually identifying and avoiding other aircraft. Soon, the pilots spotted the cruise ship, descended to about 610 meters, and began circling it so passengers could enjoy the impressive view.

At the same time, a Cessna 177RG Cardinal was also in the area. Its only occupant was a 70-year-old veteran pilot with 15,000 flight hours, 13,000 of them as captain. He was descending from 900 to 460 meters and was also admiring the massive cruise liner.

After completing the circle, the Beechcraft crew contacted the controller to report their intention to land. The controller gave them clearance - but suddenly, all radio contact with the aircraft was lost. From the cruise ship and nearby yachts, horrified onlookers saw the Beechcraft break apart midair and crash into the sea. All 14 people on board were killed.

The theory of a midair collision emerged after it was discovered that the Cessna had gone missing. Wreckage recovered from the seabed confirmed it: the Cessna had slammed into the Beechcraft’s right side at full speed, causing both planes to lose control. The Cessna pilot was also killed.

The investigation revealed that the Cessna’s transponder was turned off. At the time, transponder use was not mandatory for visual flight. Because of this, the Cessna didn’t appear on radar, and the controller had no way to warn the Beechcraft crew.

Moreover, the collision avoidance system (TCAS) couldn’t function without a transponder signal. Not that it mattered - the Beechcraft wasn’t equipped with TCAS anyway, as the system wasn't certified in France at the time.

During the flyover, the Beechcraft was being flown by the first officer. The captain, seated on the left, was responsible for monitoring surrounding airspace. However, the cockpit layout made it difficult for him to see to the right. A left-hand turn with a bank only worsened visibility, leaving the incoming Cessna unnoticed.

Meanwhile, the Cessna pilot also failed to spot the Beechcraft - it was in his blind spot. And both crews were clearly distracted by the view of the Norway.

The crash occurred because both aircraft, flying under visual flight rules in uncontrolled airspace, failed to detect each other in time to avoid a collision. Following the tragedy, a recommendation was issued stating that visual flight in commercial passenger operations should be used only when strictly necessary.