History of the Flight
On 7 March 2024, a serious incident occurred at Courchevel mountain airfield involving a Cessna 172 R, registration F-HSNO, operated by Alpine Airlines on a commercial sightseeing flight with a pilot and two passengers. At around 16:15, a snowplough driver contacted the AFIS officer to cross and descend the runway to clear snow from the edges. Between 16:18 and 16:32, the AFIS officer communicated with multiple helicopters and a Civil Defence helicopter. At 16:32, the pilot of F-HSNO, on the apron near the fuel pump, contacted the AFIS officer for a 15-minute sightseeing flight. He taxied to threshold 04 and reported ready at the holding point. The AFIS officer asked him to call back when lined up. While the AFIS officer determined the position of a Civil Defence helicopter to avoid conflict, the pilot reported lined up and ready. The AFIS officer provided wind information, and the pilot took off. At a height of a few meters, the aircraft passed beside the snowplough on the left side of the runway, about 150 m from threshold 22.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 23, held a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL (A)) obtained in 2021 and an access authorisation for Courchevel. He had approximately 430 flight hours, including 200 as pilot-in-command, with about 30 hours in the previous three months on F-HSNO. His statement revealed no particular information prior to passing the snowplough.
Aerodrome Information
Courchevel mountain airfield is a restricted-use aerodrome with a single paved runway 22/04, 536 m long, threshold 22 at 6,371 ft. The runway has a significant slope. The airfield has an AFIS service, open at the time. The operator clears snow during winter to enable wheeled aircraft operations year-round, a unique situation in France. The airfield is not listed under the "snow plan" in the AIP France. The regulatory framework (Order of 28 August 2003) does not include snow clearance requirements, and the airfield is not required to have a European safety certificate. An ICAO working group is considering rules for mountain airfields.
Operator and AFIS Service Provider
The Courchevel town hall operates the aerodrome and provides AFIS service. The AFIS officer on duty, qualified on 25 January 2024, stated she forgot the snowplough was on the runway and did not see it during visual scan, as her attention was focused on the Civil Defence helicopter to avoid conflict. She noted pressure from a previous loss-of-separation notification by Alpine Airlines. The snowplough driver stated he was passively listening but focused on driving and did not hear the departure call due to vehicle noise. The AFIS service had not implemented a means to indicate a vehicle on the runway, and no formal procedures for snow clearance existed at the time, though verbal instructions to close the runway during clearing had been communicated but not yet applied.
Measures Taken After the Occurrence
Following the incident, the AFIS service provider issued permanent directives for snow clearance operations and for displaying a red "runway engaged" sign on the AFIS console when vehicles are on the runway or FATO. Staff training was organized. A new version of the Operations Manual on 15 March 2024 incorporated procedures including runway closure by NOTAM during snow clearance, runway inspection before opening, and reporting of runway condition to pilots. The operator also plans to create an "Aerodrome OM" defining all ground operating procedures.