Biscarrosse (40): two concurrent air accidents leave three injured – South West

An aerial coincidence that could have had far more dramatic consequences. This Tuesday, November 23, it is around 12 noon when a seaplane crashes on Lake Latécoère de Biscarrosse. On board, two people, the pilot and a passenger. Very quickly, a second seaplane landed near the first to rescue the victims. According to the first hearings, the two Swiss, aged about 60, were training in ditching maneuvers. They were in the eighth or ninth rotation when the seaplane lost stability and got out of control.

According to our information, the two men spent nearly an hour in the water. They were slightly injured and mostly suffered from hypothermia. The Smur was dispatched to the site. The victims were evacuated to a Gironde hospital center for additional examinations. The aircraft completely broke up on impact and was engulfed at the bottom of the lake. The 80 liters of the reservoir dispersed in the lake. A local company recovered the largest debris including the floats. The carcass of the device will be recovered in the coming days.

The firefighters, 16 in number, as well as the gendarmes from Biscarrosse, were on site at the start of the afternoon to make the first observations and think about a way to recover the hydrocarbons that escaped from the carcass during the crash. An investigation is opened to determine the circumstances of the accident and shed light on its causes.

Autogyro misses landing

About ten minutes later, a few kilometers away, an autogyro, an aircraft of the ULM family, failed to land on Biscarrosse aerodrome. The aircraft would have landed a little too quickly, causing material damage.

The pilot, a man in his 50s, is very shocked. Significant resources, including firefighters and the Arcachon Smur, were deployed, the helicopter was even called upon, but the pilot, alone on board, was not transported. Treatments were carried out on site.

According to a source on the spot, the two events, although concomitant, have no connection with each other, it is a true coincidence.