What happened
A single-engine aircraft was conducting a positioning flight from Charleroi Airport to Courchevel Altiport, intended to collect seven passengers. During the arrival sequence, the crew performed the approach checklist and conducted a low pass over the airfield to inspect the runway and wind direction indicators. Following this, the aircraft entered a circuit to initiate a second approach.
While on short final for runway 22, the aircraft's altitude dropped below the 6,371-foot threshold level. At a distance of approximately 185 meters from the runway threshold, the aircraft was traveling at 84 knots. At this critical moment, the pilot intentionally reduced engine power to the point of a complete shutdown while simultaneously increasing the aircraft's pitch.
This maneuver caused the aircraft to descend prematurely, leading the landing gear to strike an embankment situated below the runway threshold. The impact tore the left main gear from the airframe. The aircraft then bounced along the runway before veering left, where the left wing struck a snow berm and was subsequently sheared off. The aircraft continued into the snow berm, performed a 180-degree turn, and eventually came to a stop. The two crew members sustained only minor injuries, but the aircraft was a total loss.
Findings
The accident was precipitated by the pilot's decision to shut down the engine power during the final stages of the approach, which resulted in an insufficient descent profile and subsequent impact with terrain below the runway threshold.