2000 Piper PA-28 accident in Valpelline (I-)

Overview and Investigation Authority The accident occurred on 23 December 2000 at approximately 13:15 UTC (14:15 local time) at the foot of the Dents des Bouquetins mountain in Valpelline, Aosta Valley, Italy. The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee Archer with registration I-SUVE, owned and operated by the Aero Club “Franco Bordoni Bisleri” of Bresso, Milan. The Italian National Agency for the Safety of Flight (ANSV) conducted the technical investigation in accordance with Annex 13 to the Chicago Convention and Italian law, with the sole objective of preventing accidents and incidents, excluding any assessment of fault or liability. ## Flight History and Impact The aircraft departed from Aosta “Corrado Gex” Airport at 12:48 UTC on 23 December 2000, en route to Bresso, Milan, from where it had departed earlier that morning. After leaving the southern area of Aosta, the pilot continued the flight toward the Matterhorn, informing the Aosta AFIS. At approximately 13:15 UTC, the aircraft impacted the Haut Glacier de Tsa de Tsan glacier at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters. The three occupants left the aircraft uninjured, but two of them, while attempting to reach the valley floor, slid into a gully and lost their lives. ## Aircraft Damage and Personnel The aircraft sustained serious damage to both wings, the landing gear, and part of the fuselage. No other damage was reported. The pilot was a 29-year-old Italian male holding a valid private pilot license for airplanes, obtained in 1999, with a Vm/a-SEP rating and a valid medical certificate. Two passengers were on board: one seated beside the pilot and the other in a rear seat. The front-seat passenger held an expired commercial pilot license from 1990, with a total of 420 flight hours, including approximately 200 on the accident aircraft type. In July 2000, he resumed flying to renew his expired qualifications and, by early October 2000, after logging 17 hours and 28 minutes on a Piper PA-28, was declared eligible to take the theoretical and practical exams. ## Aircraft Technical Data The aircraft was a 1971 Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee Archer, construction number 28-7105163. It was registered under certificate number 6001 and held airworthiness certificate number 8645/a, valid until 26 June 2003. The aircraft was maintained under the manufacturer's program.