What happened
On April 9, 1971, at approximately 11:55 AM, a fatal collision occurred on runway 17/3/5 at the Ascona airfield. A Falcon F8L IV, registration D-ELDY, was performing a landing following a flight from Munich. As the aircraft touched down, a pedestrian attempted to cross the runway from right to left.
The pilot of the D-ELDY had previously delayed the landing approach to allow another aircraft to clear the runway. Upon touchdown, the pilot observed the pedestrian roughly 50 meters away, traveling at an estimated speed of 100 km/h. The pedestrian was struck by the underside of the aircraft's right wing. The impact resulted in one fatality, while the pilot and passenger remained uninjured. The aircraft sustained minor damage.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the Locarno police, established that the pedestrian, an experienced pilot himself, entered the airfield through a small gate in the perimeter fence. Despite warnings from witnesses—including two teenagers and the pilot of another aircraft, HB-OCP, which was idling nearby—the pedestrian did not appear to perceive the approaching aircraft.
Investigators noted that the pedestrian's attention may have been diverted by the engine noise from the stationary HB-OCP. Furthermore, the dark grey color of the D-ELDY made it difficult to distinguish against the background under the prevailing lighting conditions. The investigation also noted that a collision warning light system, which had been recommended in a previous inspection report, was not installed on the aircraft at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The pedestrian recognized the danger only at the final moment and attempted to drop to his knees to avoid the impact, but the maneuver was too late.
- The pilot had approximately two seconds to react once the pedestrian was identified, leaving insufficient time to avoid the collision.
- The pedestrian perceived the landing aircraft too late during the runway crossing.
- Environmental factors, including the aircraft's dark livery and ambient lighting, contributed to the difficulty in visual detection.