Incident Overview
On Friday, July 9, 1971, shortly before 06:00 Central European Time, a Piper J3C with registration HB-OIS departed from the Reichenbach airfield. The aircraft was operated by a pilot accompanied by one passenger. Their objective was to fly over the construction site of the new Lämmerenhütte in the Valais canton to drop fresh bread for workers.
Flight Sequence and Crash
At 06:15, the aircraft flew westward at a low altitude over the construction site. Witnesses reported that the occupants waved to people on the ground. After executing a left turn back toward the Gemmi Pass, which involved some altitude loss, the pilot initiated a second approach in a slight climb. Approximately 50 meters before reaching the site, the aircraft suddenly rolled to the right from an altitude of about 50 meters and impacted the ground with the engine still running at full power.
Aircraft and Personnel Details
The Piper J3C was a two-seat high-wing monoplane manufactured in 1944. It had been rebuilt after a fire in 1956 and was owned by the Fluggruppe Reichenbach. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 2,049 hours since its rebuild. The pilot, born in 1938, held a commercial pilot license and had over 300 hours of total flight experience, including 105 hours on this specific model. The passenger, born in 1947, had no prior flight experience. Both individuals were wearing seatbelts at the time of impact.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the crash resulted from the pilot attempting a load drop in difficult terrain with insufficient altitude and speed reserves. The aircraft fell below its minimum safe speed during the second approach. Due to the low altitude, the pilot did not have enough vertical space to recover the aircraft's attitude. Contributing factors included the high elevation (2,480 m), an open cabin door which reduced climb performance, and a lack of visual references for judging position relative to the ground. Autopsy results confirmed that both fatalities were caused solely by traumatic injuries sustained in the crash, with no influence from alcohol or drugs.