What happened
On February 11, 2015, a PA-18-180M operated by Groupe de vol montagne et glacier was involved in a ground incident near the Croix de Coeur in the municipality of Nendaz. Following a landing and a full stop adjacent to the maneuvering area, the pilot attempted to reposition the aircraft toward the start of a snow-covered takeoff surface.
During the turn, the pilot encountered an obstacle in the form of a parked aircraft. To avoid this, the pilot paused the maneuver and instructed the passenger to exit the cabin to assist with the turn manually. After the passenger re-entered the cockpit, the pilot applied power to realign the aircraft. Despite repeated attempts to use the right rudder pedal, the pilot was unable to correct the direction of the tailwheel ski, which remained turned to the left.
As a result, the aircraft drifted into two wooden marker poles. The collision caused damage to the propeller and the right leading edge of the wing. The engine stopped following the impact, and the aircraft slid approximately 50 meters before coming to a final rest. The passenger was uninjured, while the pilot sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the taxi maneuver and the mechanical or operational factors that prevented effective directional control. Investigators examined the aircraft's configuration, specifically the position of the tailwheel ski, and the pilot's inputs via the rudder pedals during the attempt to realign for takeoff.