Incident Overview
On Friday, May 12, 1978, at approximately 11:50 UTC, a Piper PA-28 R with registration HB-OQX crashed into a rapeseed field near St. Léger-le-Petit in the Cher department of France. The aircraft was operating under a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan from Geneva to Quiberon. All four individuals on board—one pilot and three passengers—were killed instantly, and the airframe was completely destroyed.
Operational Context
The pilot, a 51-year-old Swiss national with 233 total flight hours, departed Geneva under fair weather conditions. However, meteorological data indicated that low cloud ceilings and precipitation were present across western France, making the planned VFR route infeasible. The investigation noted no evidence that the pilot consulted the local weather station before departure.
Sequence of Events
Around 11:40 UTC, the pilot contacted air traffic control on a common club frequency (123.5 MHz) to report being in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) near Nevers. A monitor from the SFACT center advised contacting military control on 119.7 MHz. The aircraft was subsequently identified by radar at Avord and vectored for a descent toward Bourges.
At 11:58 UTC, during the descent, the pilot interrupted communication to state that the aircraft was falling after striking an unknown object. Witnesses observed the plane in a spin with debris separating before it impacted the ground. The engine controls were found at idle, and the propeller showed no signs of impact damage, indicating the engine was not producing power at the time of the crash.
Investigation Findings
The investigation concluded that the accident resulted from the pilot entering IMC while conducting a VFR flight. The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, as these were not mandatory for this type of aircraft under applicable regulations. Post-mortem examinations attributed the fatalities to polytrauma and lower limb fractures. No fire occurred following the impact.