What happened
On July 21, 2007, at approximately 08:55 UTC, a Cessna 172 aircraft, registration F-OPRG, crashed into a rocky wall near the Taïbit Pass in Marla, Réunion Island. The flight departed from Saint-Denis airport with the pilot and three passengers for a local sightseeing tour.
After takeoff, the aircraft followed the coastline before turning inland toward the Mafate Cirque. While the weather conditions along the coast were clear, clouds were beginning to form over the mountainous terrain. The pilot was flying at an altitude of approximately 5,500 feet, which was insufficient to clear the Taïbit Pass. As the aircraft approached the terrain, the pilot likely realized the difficulty of clearing the pass and attempted a turn, but the aircraft struck a cliff face roughly 120 meters below the ridge. The impact destroyed the aircraft and caused four fatalities.