On June 11, 1979, a Cessna 404 Titan (registration HB-LKO) operated by Jonathan Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Annemasse, France during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to recognize an insufficient altitude during final approach in low visibility led to the collision with a building. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A single-engine aircraft crashed into a building during its final approach to Annemasse, resulting in the death of the pilot.
What happened
On a positioning flight traveling from Geneva-Cointrin toward Annemasse, an aircraft struck a structure while attempting to land. The flight was being operated by a single individual acting as the pilot. During the final approach phase, the aircraft descended into a building, leading to a total loss of the airframe.
Findings
Investigations into the crash indicate that the flight was occurring under conditions of restricted visibility. The primary factor in the accident was that the pilot failed to maintain sufficient altitude during the descent. This error caused the aircraft to impact the building, resulting in one fatality and the complete destruction of the plane.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to recognize an insufficient altitude during final approach in low visibility led to the collision with a building.