Mountain Flight Accident Involving a Reims Aviation F172N in the Ubaye Valley (F-GJSQ)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On June 9, 2014, at approximately 10:45 local time, a Reims Aviation F172N registered F-GJSQ, operated by a club, was flying from Gap Tallard to Mont-Dauphin Saint-Crépin. The aircraft carried a pilot and two passengers. The pilot had planned to route via the Ubaye Valley and Col de Vars. After an approach at Barcelonnette, the pilot decided to continue toward the destination, stabilizing at 6,000 ft. Near the pass, the pilot realized the altitude was insufficient to clear the terrain and initiated a climb. The aircraft then collided with trees and terrain west of the pass, entered a pylon configuration, and caught fire. The pilot and front passenger evacuated, but one passenger died. ## Investigation Findings The wreckage was found in a rocky area approximately 450 meters west and 60 meters above Col de Vars. The aircraft sustained relatively minor structural damage, indicating a low-energy impact. Flaps were found fully extended and symmetrical. No mechanical malfunction was identified. Weather conditions at the site included calm winds, visibility over 10 km, and scattered stratocumulus clouds with bases between 6,000 and 7,000 ft. The pass was clear. ## Pilot and Aircraft Information The pilot had 223 total flight hours, including 163 on type. This was the pilot's first mountain flight as commander. The front passenger, a private pilot, noted the aircraft was left of the pass and that the stall warning sounded at 48 kt before impact. According to the flight manual, the maximum climb rate at 6,000 ft in the day's conditions was 440 ft/min at 70 kt. The stall speed in a 40-degree flap configuration was 41 kt. ## Conclusion The accident resulted from inadequate flight planning, which led the pilot to fly below the safety altitude before the pass, and late detection of the inability to clear the terrain or turn back. The aircraft's trajectory was not aligned with the pass, and the pilot likely did not see it, continuing to climb toward adjacent terrain. The investigation could not determine why the flaps were fully extended at impact.