May 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash

{{Infobox Aircraft occurrence

|name = May 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash

|occurrence_type = Accident

|image = Farman-goliath.jpg

|image_size = 250

|alt = Farman Goliath

|caption = A Farman Goliath, similar to the accident aircraft

|date = {{start date|df=yes|1923|5|14}}

|type = Structural failure

|site = Monsures, Somme, France

|coordinates = {{coord|49.71|2.1719|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

|aircraft_type = Farman F.60 Goliath

|aircraft_name =

|operator = Air Union

|tail_number = F-AEBY

|origin = Le Bourget, Paris, France

|stopover =

|destination = Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom

|passengers = 4

|crew = 2

|fatalities = 6

|survivors = 0

}}

The May 1923 Air Union Farman Goliath crash occurred on 14 May 1923 when Farman F.60 Goliath F-AEBY of Air Union crashed at Monsures, Somme, France following the structural failure of a wing in flight. All six people on board were killed.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was Farman F.60 Goliath F-AEBY, c/n 3. The aircraft had entered service with Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes in April 1922, passing to Air Union in January 1923.{{cite web|url=http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_F-1.htm |title=Civil Aircraft Register – France |page=2 |publisher=Golden Years of Aviation |accessdate=4 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302143806/http://www.goldenyears.ukf.net/reg_F-1.htm |archivedate=2 March 2011 }}

Accident

The aircraft departed Le Bourget Airport, Paris at 12:35 local time with two crew and four passengers on board. At 13:42,{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Air Crash |date=16 May 1923 |page=14 |issue=43342 |column=E}} the aircraft crashed at Monsures, Somme and burst into flames. A garde champêtre witnessed the aircraft flying at an altitude of {{convert|3000|ft|m}} when he saw what he described as "an explosion" in the air.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Paris-London Air Crash |date=15 May 1923 |page=14 |issue=43341 |column=G}} The aircraft crashed and was consumed in the fire that followed. All six people on board were killed, including M. Émile Pierrot, the Technical Director of Air Union.{{Cite web |last=Godin |first=Sylvie |date=2023-05-17 |title=Somme : le crash du Goliath avait fait six morts en mai 1923 |url=https://www.lebonhommepicard.fr/somme-crash/ |access-date=2024-02-11 |website=Le Bonhomme Picard |language=fr-FR}}

Cause

The cause of the accident was the structural failure of a wing. One of the aircraft's wings was found at a distance of {{convert|200|yd|m}} from the location of the main wreckage. One pair of wheels from the undercarriage was found near the railway line from Amiens to Beauvais, several hundred yards from the wreckage.

Casualties

The nationalities of the victims were:-

class="wikitable"
Nationality ! Crew ! Passengers ! Total
{{flagicon\|France}} French \| 2 \| 1 \| 3
{{flagicon\|United States\|1912}} American \| – \| 2 \| 2
{{flagicon\|Finland}} Finnish \| – \| 1 \| 1
Total \| 2 \| 4 \| 6

class="wikitable"

Nationality

! Crew

! Passengers

! Total

{{flagicon|France}} French

| 2

| 1

| 3

{{flagicon|United States|1912}} American

| –

| 2