Ajaccio-Nice Caravelle crash: Prosecutors seek recovery of engines

Nearly 58 years after the Ajaccio-Nice Caravelle crash, French prosecutors have requested that major parts of the wreck be recovered from the seabed, including the aircraft's engines.

The operation was requested shortly before the anniversary of the crash, which occurred off Cap d'Antibes on the morning of Sept. 11, 1968. All 89 passengers and six crew members died.

Nice public prosecutor Damien Martinelli outlined the latest developments in the investigation in a statement issued on Monday, Sept. 7. The Nice prosecutor's office still has an open judicial investigation into the removal of a document or object connected with a crime or offense, allegedly to obstruct the search for the truth.

In October 2025, investigators conducted a three-day operation to take underwater photographs in a predefined area covering 8 square kilometers. The work involved about 30 hours of diving at a depth of 2,300 meters. Prosecutors are now seeking to bring key wreckage components to the surface in the hope of shedding light on the long-standing mystery.