Background
The aircraft, a Cessna 172P registered OK-HOS, was privately owned and operated by SKY Academy s.r.o. of Prague. It had been registered in the Czech Republic on 11 July 2005 after being imported from England. The flight originated from Horovice, Czech Republic, on 19 August 2005, with a planned route via several airports. After landing in Albenga, Italy, on 22 August, the crew attempted to fly to Friedrichshafen but diverted to Locarno, Switzerland, due to bad weather.
Flight History
On 23 August 2005, the two pilots arrived at Locarno aerodrome around midday. They filed a flight plan to Friedrichshafen via Domodossola, Brig, and Martigny. At 13:30 LT, the aircraft was refueled and luggage weighing approximately 60 kg was loaded. The four occupants then boarded. Take-off occurred at 14:52 LT. The aircraft followed the planned route through the Val Vigezzo, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,216 m (7,271 ft) over Gondo. From that point, it continuously lost altitude. During the final 43 seconds, the aircraft climbed approximately 44 m while flying low over the valley floor.
Accident Sequence
The aircraft entered the Gondoschlucht heading towards the Simplon Pass. It descended further, passing over Simplon-Dorf and Egga. Near Bärnetscha, about 6 km short of the pass summit, the crew initiated a 180-degree turn. After completing the turn, the aircraft tipped over and collided with the terrain. The accident occurred at approximately 15:30 LT. All four occupants were killed.
Cause and Contributing Factors
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau determined that the accident was attributable to the pilots losing control of the aircraft after a 180-degree turn that was initiated too late, resulting in a collision with terrain. The following factors contributed to the accident: (1) overloading of the aircraft, (2) center of gravity outside the aft limit, and (3) limited flying experience of the pilots.