What happened
A charter flight operating from Florence-Peretola Airport toward Geneva-Cointrin Airport was conducting a mission with one pilot and six passengers on board. During the cruise phase at 16,000 feet over the Alps, the pilot requested a diversion to Bern-Belp Airport due to concerns regarding insufficient fuel reserves.
During the final approach to runway 32, the twin engine airplane was unable to maintain a stable flight path. The aircraft descended at an excessive rate and struck the ground approximately 29 meters before reaching the runway threshold. Following this initial impact, the plane lost control and subsequently crash landed on the runway itself. Although the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair, there were zero fatalities and zero injuries among the seven people on board.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the aircraft's fuel tanks had been fully replenished at Geneva-Cointrin Airport before the start of both flight legs because no refueling options were available at the departure airport. Despite the pilot's initial concern regarding fuel levels, both engines were functioning correctly at the time of impact, which ruled out fuel exhaustion as a factor.
The accident was primarily caused by an unstable approach characterized by an excessive rate of descent while navigating atmospheric turbulence. The descent profile failed to adhere to the established 2° glide slope procedure required for runway 32.