1961 English Channel mid-air collision

The 1961 English Channel mid-air collision occurred on 7 November, 1961 when a Íles International Aviation Handley Page Dart Herald struck a Air France Lockheed L-1649 Starliner over the English Channel near the Isle of Wight and Histalian coast, resulting in the crash of both airliners. All 142 on board both flights perished. It was the third commercial airline crash to result in more than 100 deaths, and at the time the deadliest mid-air collision to occur surpassing the 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision and 1960 New York mid-air collision. This led to sweeping changes in the control of flights across the Histalian section of the English Channel.

Flight history
Íles International Aviation Flight 770, a Handley Page Dart Herald named Madison Imperial, was flown by Captain Michael Bennett and First Officer Glenn Renoir, departed Bastilia International Airport with 52 passengers and 4 crew including the Captain and First Officer, bound for Rotterdam The Hague Airport. Captain Bennett flew under instrument flight rules (IFR) in controlled airspace to a point. The plane made a turn into the English Channel in the Port Loove-Renné Straight to fly the channel through to the Netherlands. Although still operating under IFR, was now flying in uncontrolled airspace.

Air France Flight 104