In 1973, a plane crash killed 14 people and a once idyllic French settlement slowly turned into a ghost town near one of the most populous part of Europe

Located around 20 kilometres north of Paris, in the densely populated Île-de-France region, lies Goussainville-Vieux Pays. Once a quiet French village, the area now has abandoned homes, deteriorating buildings and overgrown streets, while aircraft from the nearby Charles de Gaulle Airport continue to pass overhead, serving as a constant reminder of the changes that transformed the village.

This is Goussainville-Vieux Pays, the old village of Goussainville, a settlement that transformed from a peaceful French countryside community into one of France’s most unusual semi-abandoned places.

Its decline was not caused by a single event alone. The village’s fate was shaped by two powerful forces of modernisation: the arrival of one of the world’s major airports and a devastating aviation disaster that struck the community in 1973.


Today, Goussainville-Vieux Pays is often described as a “ghost town”, but the reality is more complex. While many houses remain empty and derelict, a small number of residents still live among the ruins, preserving the last traces of the village’s former life.

The 1973 Tupolev Tu-144 crash that sealed the village’s fate

On June 3, 1973, tragedy struck Goussainville during the Paris Air Show at nearby Le Bourget Airport. A Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic aircraft, performing a demonstration flight, crashed into the village. The accident killed all six crew members onboard and eight people on the ground, bringing the total death toll to 14. Several houses were destroyed and dozens of people were injured.

The disaster deeply affected the community. For residents who were already worried about the approaching airport and increasing aircraft traffic, the crash became a devastating psychological turning point.

Some villagers left soon afterward, starting the decline of Goussainville-Vieux Pays. However, the crash was not the only reason behind the village’s decline.

A peaceful farming village before the age of airports

Before becoming known as an abandoned settlement, Goussainville-Vieux Pays was a traditional French village surrounded by agricultural land. Located in the Val-d’Oise department of the Île-de-France region, it was close enough to Paris to benefit from the capital’s influence but far enough away to maintain a rural identity.

For generations, residents lived in a quiet environment of stone houses, farms, vineyards and narrow streets. The village had the character of many historic French settlements, centred around its church and local community life.

But in the 1960s, France began planning a major new international airport north of Paris. The project would eventually become Charles de Gaulle Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs.

When Charles de Gaulle Airport opened in 1974, Goussainville-Vieux Pays found itself directly beneath aircraft routes. The village was suddenly exposed to constant aircraft noise. Low-flying planes became a permanent feature of daily life, transforming the character of the settlement.

For many residents, the noise was unbearable. Families began leaving their homes, while authorities and airport operators acquired some properties from residents who wanted to relocate.

According to reports, many houses were eventually bought by airport authorities and left unused, contributing to the gradual deterioration of the old village.

The village’s most famous abandoned structure is its old château, a 19th-century mansion that has become a symbol of the settlement’s decline. Once an elegant residence, it now stands weathered and exposed, surrounded by overgrown land.

The new Goussainville: A thriving town beside a forgotten village

Despite its reputation as a ghost town, Goussainville is not an abandoned settlement. A modern town with the same name exists just a short distance from Goussainville-Vieux Pays, separated by less than a kilometre. While the old village slowly emptied after the arrival of Charles de Gaulle Airport and the 1973 plane crash, the newer part of Goussainville continued to develop into a busy suburban community with homes, schools, shops, public services and a growing population.

The town is connected to Paris through the RER D commuter rail network, making it part of the daily movement of workers and commuters across the Île-de-France region.

The coexistence of these two Goussainvilles, one expanding toward the future and the other preserving the scars of the past, has made the area a unique example of how communities are struck by economic development, infrastructure projects and unexpected disasters.