1995 Piper PA-28 Warrior II accident at Fey, Switzerland (HB-PCG)

Overview and flight details On 5 February 1995, a Piper PA-28-161 “Warrior II” with registration HB-PCG departed Cannes-Mandelieu at 16:15 local time for Sion, Switzerland. The aircraft was operated by Aéro-Club “Les Ailes du Désir” and carried one pilot and three passengers. Radar and radio records placed the aircraft over Grasse, Cuneo, Turin, and Aosta before it entered the Rhône Valley. ## Accident sequence At 17:56, the pilot contacted Sion control, and at 18:01:20 asked for the ceiling height. The controller reported a ceiling of 2,000 feet above ground. The pilot acknowledged and stated he would pass under the layer. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying low along the south side of the Rhône Valley between Saxon and Riddes, below a stratus layer. Near Nendaz, the aircraft entered fog, made a sharp turn to the right toward the slope, then to the left, struck trees, and crashed at 18:04. ## Casualties and damage All four occupants were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed. A few trees were damaged on the ground. The wreckage was found the following morning at 08:00 on 6 February. ## Aircraft and personnel The aircraft was a 1977 Piper PA-28-161 “Warrior II” with a Lycoming 160 CV engine and a fixed-pitch Sensenich propeller. At the time of the accident, its total time was 1,797.05 hours. The pilot was a Swiss national born in 1953, holding a private pilot licence valid until 11 March 1995, with 187.35 total hours and 136.49 hours on type. The three passengers were Swiss nationals with no aviation experience or licences. ## Meteorological conditions The forecast for the region indicated stratus with bases at 500 to 700 metres and tops at 1,300 metres, with visibility of 2 to 4 km under the stratus. Local observations at Sion showed overcast conditions at 16:50 UTC. Witnesses described the aircraft flying below a fog layer in the Rhône Valley, with very low visibility and near-night conditions.