2013 Piper PA-28-161 accident at Chies d'Alpago (F-GHLY)

Overview and Event Description On 18 June 2013, at 11:36 UTC (13:36 local time), a Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II with registration F-GHLY crashed in a mountainous area at Chies d'Alpago, in the province of Belluno, Italy. The aircraft was on a recreational flight from Locarno, Switzerland, to Lesce Bled, Slovenia. During cruise, while crossing Italian territory, the aircraft crashed during a left turn made in an attempt to reverse its course. Two of the three occupants died; the pilot sustained non-serious injuries and was transported to a hospital. The aircraft was destroyed, and no other damage to third parties on the ground was reported. ## Aircraft and Operator The aircraft was a Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II, a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing, fixed-gear, all-metal aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,107 kg. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine rated at 160 HP. The operator was the Association Cercle Aéronautique de l'Aéroport de Lyon-Bron. The aircraft's technical and administrative documentation was valid at the time of the accident, with the airworthiness certificate issued on 20 February 2013 and expiring on 23 February 2014. Maintenance was performed regularly according to the manufacturer's program. ## Personnel The pilot was a 54-year-old French male holding a private pilot license issued by the French aviation authority under ICAO and JAR FCL standards. His total flight experience was approximately 350 hours, with about 30 hours on PA-28 aircraft, of which about 10 hours were on the PA-28-161 model. The passenger-pilot, seated in the right front seat, was a 67-year-old French male with approximately 1,500 total flight hours. He held a private pilot license but did not have an English radiotelephony qualification, holding only French language proficiency. ## Flight History and Context The aircraft was participating in the 2013 international tour, a multi-stage recreational flight organized annually since 2000 by pilots from French aero clubs. The 2013 tour involved eight stops across Europe, with a final destination of Sebastopol in the Crimean Peninsula. The flight from Locarno to Lesce Bled was one of the legs of this tour. ## Meteorological and Terrain Conditions At the time of the accident, weather conditions in the area were characterized by high temperatures, visibility of approximately 10 kilometers, cumuliform cloud formations, and the possibility of turbulence. Towering cumulus clouds were present from 2,000 feet. The accident site was in the Val Salatis, an alpine valley with steep terrain, surrounded by mountains between 1,800 and 2,000 meters in altitude. The wreckage was found on rocky terrain partially covered by low vegetation.