Flight Summary
On 4 March 2013, a Beechcraft Premier 1A, registration VP-CAZ, departed on a private flight from Annemasse aerodrome to Geneva Airport. The aircraft had been parked overnight. The temperature was -2 °C with 98% humidity and low clouds. The pilot and two passengers arrived at about 07:00 local time.
Accident Sequence
The flight began with engine start and taxi. At 07:38:03, the pilot initiated the takeoff roll. The aircraft lifted off at 07:38:37. Witnesses observed a pronounced nose-up attitude with a low climb rate. Immediately after liftoff, the aircraft stalled due to ice contamination on the wing surfaces. It entered a steep bank, as indicated by GPWS and stall warnings. The aircraft struck a house roof, then trees and a garden shed, before coming to rest about 500 m from the runway threshold. A fire ensued.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot and the front-seat passenger were killed. The rear-seat passenger was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire. A house roof was damaged; the occupant was uninjured.
Investigation Findings
Analysis of the cockpit voice recorder and radar data determined that the aircraft stalled immediately after takeoff. The underlying cause was ice on the wings. The investigation showed that the pilot had insufficient awareness of the risks of ground icing, leading to the decision to take off with ice on critical surfaces. No deicing was performed before departure. The airport lacked ground deicing equipment. The BEA identified 32 similar accidents since 1989 where no deicing was performed before takeoff. A ground ice detection system could have prevented the accident.
Cause
The accident was caused by the takeoff with ice on the wings, which led to a stall.