1976 Piper PA-18-180 Glacier Landing Accident at Wildhorn (HB-ORF)

Overview and Investigation Context (When, Where, Who Involved? Facts from Source: crash date 4 August 1976, time approx 1230 UTC? source says MEZ, location Wildhorngletscher/VS, operator/owner Air-Glaciers S.A. Sion, pilot Austrian nationality, passenger Austrian. Investigation final report dated Bern, 11 Nov 1977.) On 4 August 1976, a Piper PA-18-180 with registration HB-ORF crashed on the Wildhorn Glacier (VS, Switzerland) at approximately 1230 local time while attempting a glacier landing. The aircraft, owned and operated by Air-Glaciers S.A. of Sion, was being used for glacier landing training. The pilot, an Austrian national born in 1943, held a valid Swiss private pilot licence with mountain landing endorsement. He died in the impact. The passenger, an Austrian national born in 1923 with private and glider pilot licences, was seriously injured. The final investigation report was issued on 11 November 1977 by the Swiss accident investigation commission (from the Department of Transport and Energy). The preliminary investigation closed on 3 October 1977.