Incident Overview
On 26 July 2016, at approximately 09:20 UTC, a close encounter occurred between a Swiss Air Force helicopter and a civil aircraft near Oberalppass in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. The event took place at an altitude of around 7500 feet. The helicopter was shortly after its departure from a location near an aerial cableway station.
Aircraft Details
Two aircraft were involved in the airprox. The first was a helicopter registered as T-362, type EC635, operated and owned by the Swiss Air Force (Luftwaffe). It was crewed by a single pilot. The helicopter was conducting a military VFR flight from Dübendorf Military Airfield (LSMD) to Andermatt (AND).
The second aircraft was a civil fixed-wing aircraft bearing the registration D-EBTM. At the time of the notification, its type, operator, and owner were not yet known. It carried two cockpit crew members and was operating under VFR for private purposes. The points of departure and landing were also not yet determined.
Investigation Status
This report is based on preliminary information from the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB). The STSB indicated that a more detailed Airprox report would be issued later and made available to parties including pilots, passengers, the operator, and the aircraft owner. The legal assessment of the causes and circumstances of the event is not within the scope of the accident investigation, as per Article 24 of the Air Navigation Law.