Incident
A single-engine airplane conducting a local skydiving flight in the Sion area experienced a stall during its initial climb and crashed back onto the runway. The aircraft had flaps set at 28° for takeoff from runway 08. After rotation, while climbing to approximately 100 feet, the tail stalled, causing the airplane to settle back onto the runway. On impact, the undercarriage was torn off, and the aircraft came to rest a few dozen meters further.
All nine occupants were evacuated following the accident. One passenger suffered slight injuries. The aircraft was declared a total loss.
Investigation
Official investigation findings determined that the accident resulted from a loss of speed due to abnormal use of flight controls and landing flaps. Contributing factors identified include:
- A stall during initial climb after the pilot prematurely retracted the flaps from 28° to 14°.
- At the time of the accident, the total weight of the aircraft was 2,600 kilograms, which was 185 kilograms above the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) for the existing flying conditions.
- There were eight passengers on board, whereas the aircraft was certified for a maximum of seven passengers.
- The pilot had relatively limited experience.
Probable Cause
Loss of speed due to abnormal use of flight controls and landing flaps, with contributing factors including premature flap retraction, overweight conditions, passenger overcapacity, and limited pilot experience.