What happened
A private flight traveling from Lugano-Agno Airport toward Bielefeld departed at 10:37 local time. The aircraft, carrying one pilot and four passengers, initially climbed to a target altitude of 15,000 feet and maintained this level while traveling north. As the flight approached the Ambri region, the aircraft experienced a 500-foot loss in altitude, accompanied by fluctuating speeds ranging from 95 to 150 knots.
During this period, air traffic control issued instructions for the pilot to climb to FL150. Shortly after this instruction, the aircraft descended an additional 800 feet and vanished from radar tracking. Search efforts located the wreckage two days later on the southern slope of Mt Piz Ault in the Graubünden region. The impact of the crash resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and five fatalities.
Findings
At the time of the disappearance, the aircraft was operating within airway A9 under challenging meteorological conditions. The area was experiencing heavy snowfall, which had reduced visibility to just 200 metres. Furthermore, the flight encountered a northerly wind with gusts reaching 50 knots. The presence of severe icing conditions and significant atmospheric turbulence was noted in the vicinity of the accident site.