Swearingen SA226T Merlin III crash, Apr 16, 1980 (2 killed)
Swearingen SA226T Merlin III accident on April 16, 1980 near Lille-Lesquin, Nord, France with 2 fatalities. Cause: A propeller went into reverse mode...
- Date: April 16, 1980
- Aircraft: Swearingen SA226T Merlin III
- Location: Lille-Lesquin, Nord, France
- Fatalities: 2
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: A propeller went into reverse mode just before touchdown for undetermined reasons, causing the aircraft to lose speed and height.
On 16 April 1980 a Belgian Air Force Swearingen SA226T Merlin IIIA (CF-03, flight BAF53) crashed on the runway at Lille-Lesquin during a local training flight. The student pilot and the instructor were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.