Incident Overview
On March 12, 2015, at approximately 09:40 local time, a privately operated Jodel D140 with registration F-PUIL was involved in an accident at the Morzine Avoriaz altisurface in France. The aircraft, equipped with skis, carried a pilot and one passenger. During the incident, the plane lost control and collided with a person on a ski slope, resulting in serious injuries to the ground victim and minor damage to the aircraft.
Flight Sequence
The pilot had arrived the previous day from Enghien-Moisselles. Upon arriving at the altisurface for a local flight, the pilot performed a visual reconnaissance of the upper platform. To avoid asphalt patches that could damage the ski runners, the pilot shifted the alignment several meters to the left. This decision placed the aircraft outside the lateral limits of the runway.
After applying full power, the aircraft passed the break in the platform leading to the runway and slid into a pronounced left-hand slope. The pilot reduced power immediately but found rudder inputs ineffective. The aircraft continued to slide off-axis, exceeding the longitudinal limit of the runway by several dozen meters. It crossed a first ski slope, struck an indicator post, and continued toward a second slope. The propeller, still turning at idle, struck a skier, causing severe injuries before the aircraft came to a stop.
Contributing Factors
The investigation identified several key factors. The pilot did not perform a walk-around inspection of the runway prior to departure, which would have revealed the condition of the snow and pavement, as well as the significant slope on the left edge. Additionally, the pilot failed to shut down the engine after losing control; keeping the engine at idle increased the severity of the injury when the propeller struck the skier.
Environmental and operational factors also contributed. The altisurface runway is located close to converging ski slopes, increasing the risk of conflict with skiers. Furthermore, the runway lacked visible boundary markings. Although a prefectural decree required bright flags on stakes to delineate the runway, the designated operator had ceased activities years earlier, leaving the municipal services responsible only for pavement maintenance. Consequently, no marking was present on the day of the accident.