What happened
During a local skydiving operation in the vicinity of Sion, a single-engine aircraft was performing a takeoff from runway 08. The pilot had configured the aircraft with flaps set at 28 degrees for the departure. Shortly after rotation and while ascending to an altitude of approximately 100 feet, the tail of the airplane stalled, causing the aircraft to descend back onto the runway.
The impact caused the undercarriage to be torn from the airframe, and the plane slid several dozen meters before coming to a stop. All nine people on board were successfully evacuated following the crash. Among the occupants, there was one injury reported, involving a passenger who sustained minor wounds. The aircraft was determined to be a total loss.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical factors contributing to the loss of control. The primary cause was a loss of airspeed resulting from improper manipulation of flight controls and flaps. Specifically, the pilot prematurely retracted the flaps from 28 degrees to 14 degrees during the climb.
Additional contributing elements included:
- The aircraft's total weight was 2,600 kilograms, which exceeded the maximum takeoff weight by 185 kilograms for the prevailing conditions.
- The aircraft was carrying eight passengers, exceeding its certified limit of seven.
- The pilot possessed relatively limited flying experience.