Piper Seneca PA34 Accident at Gresse en Vercors (N2195B)

Overview and Flight Details On 10 February 2007, a Piper Seneca PA34-200T, registration N2195B, was destroyed in a collision with terrain near the Grand Veymont massif in Gresse en Vercors, France. The aircraft was operating a visual flight rules (VFR) journey from Shoreham, United Kingdom, to Cannes, France. The pilot and two passengers were killed. ## Aircraft and Pilot Information The aircraft was a privately owned Piper Seneca PA34-200T, serial number 34-797006, first registered in 1978. It was equipped for instrument flight rules (IFR) operations, including a KFC200 autopilot, VOR, ADF, DME, transponder, and two GPS units. The pilot was a 60-year-old male holding a U.S. private pilot license with multi-engine and instrument ratings, with more than 3,000 hours of flight experience. ## Sequence of Events The aircraft departed Shoreham at 10:35 UTC. During the flight, the pilot made several radio contacts with air traffic services, including Paris Information and Lyon Approach, regarding VFR routes and flight levels. At 12:42 UTC, the pilot requested a descent due to weather conditions and was cleared to flight level 65. At 13:01 UTC, while in contact with Marseille Information, the pilot reported deteriorating weather and requested to switch to IFR. At 13:05 UTC, Marseille Information lost both radar and radio contact with the aircraft. The wreckage was found at 6,400 feet near the Grand Veymont massif, which has a summit elevation of 7,679 feet.