Seventy-seven years after an Air France aircraft crashed into Pico da Vara, killing everyone aboard, Gualter Furtado recalls a tragedy that connected the Azores to one of the most poignant chapters in French aviation history.
On October 27, 2026, the Azores will mark the 77th anniversary of one of the most tragic aviation accidents in the archipelago’s history: the crash of an Air France aircraft into Pico da Vara, the highest mountain on São Miguel Island, on October 27, 1949.
The aircraft had departed Paris for New York, with a scheduled refueling stop on Santa Maria Island. It never reached the airport. Instead, it struck the mountainous terrain of northeastern São Miguel, killing all passengers and crew members aboard.
The disaster shocked France, the Azores, and the international community, particularly because among the victims was Marcel Cerdan, the celebrated French middleweight boxer who had recently lost his world championship title to Jake LaMotta.
Cerdan, born in Algeria and widely admired in France, was also known for his relationship with the legendary French singer Édith Piaf. His death became part of a deeply emotional chapter in French cultural memory, inspiring numerous literary and historical reflections.
For generations of Azoreans, however, the tragedy has remained much more than an episode involving internationally famous personalities. It is also a story of lives interrupted, families devastated, and a mountain forever associated with loss.
Writing ahead of the anniversary, Gualter Furtado recalls hearing accounts of the accident since childhood. Rather than revisiting the disturbing details of the aftermath, he chooses to commemorate the victims through memories of a mountain expedition undertaken with friends in March 2009.
Pico da Vara rises approximately 1,100 meters above sea level in the northeastern region of São Miguel. Located in the municipality of Nordeste, near the boundary with Povoação, it is among the island’s most significant natural landmarks.
Its summit can be reached through several hiking routes, including approaches from Nordeste and Povoação. Some trails are demanding and potentially dangerous, particularly during winter or periods of heavy rainfall.
Furtado emphasizes the importance of experienced guides and cautions against attempting the ascent alone.
The mountain is also surrounded by some of São Miguel’s most valuable natural habitats.
Nearby, the Graminhais Plateau contains extensive peatland ecosystems that provide habitat for the island’s resident snipe population. The forests of Tronqueira, meanwhile, are home to the Azores bullfinch, locally known as the priolo, a rare bird endemic to São Miguel.
The wider Pico da Vara landscape contains exceptional native vegetation, including remnants of the ecosystems that existed before the islands were settled.
For Furtado, these environmental characteristics make the mountain both a place of natural wonder and a landscape deserving of exceptional protection.
Yet the mountain also preserves painful reminders of aviation history.
Along the hiking routes, memorial markers commemorate two fatal aircraft accidents from the twentieth century: the 1949 Air France disaster and a separate accident involving the Portuguese Air Force.
Furtado describes these locations as places for quiet reflection and respect for those who lost their lives.
During his March 28, 2009, ascent, he and his companions stopped at the memorial to the Air France victims, observing a moment of remembrance before continuing through the surrounding natural landscape.
The group included Octaviano Mota, Gualter Furtado, Joaquim Bensaude, António Serpa, José Raposo, Pedro Fernandes, and guide Carlos Pereira.
Their expedition was motivated not only by an appreciation of São Miguel’s natural beauty but also by a shared commitment to environmental conservation.
Furtado recalls the extraordinary scenery, the diversity of birdlife, and the sense of responsibility inspired by one of the island’s most ecologically significant areas.
He argues that protecting the natural environment must remain a fundamental priority for the Azores, particularly in places where unique habitats coexist with important historical memories.
The journey ended with a meal at a restaurant in Achadinha, a simple moment of friendship that provided a gentle conclusion to a day combining remembrance, discovery, and appreciation of the island’s natural heritage.
As the 77th anniversary approaches, the Air France tragedy remains an enduring reminder of the vulnerability of human life and the lasting consequences of a journey that never reached its destination.
For those who visit Pico da Vara today, the mountain offers more than panoramic views of São Miguel. It is also a place where nature, history, and collective memory meet, inviting visitors to honor those who died while preserving the extraordinary landscape that surrounds their memorial.
Based on “O Desastre do Avião da Air France no Pico da Vara,” a commemorative reflection by Gualter Furtado, recalling the October 27, 1949, aviation tragedy and his March 28, 2009, ascent of Pico da Vara, published in Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director,