What happened
On April 19, 1973, a Jodel DR 253 B, registration D-EODP, departed from Milano-Linate for a planned VFR flight to Freiburg, Germany. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and one passenger. During the flight, the pilot transitioned from Milan Air Traffic Control to Zurich Information.
As the aircraft moved over the Alps, the pilot's communications indicated increasing difficulty. At 10:58 AM, the pilot reported being inside clouds. Shortly thereafter, the pilot requested radar assistance and reported being unable to determine his exact position. At 11:07 AM, the pilot transmitted a distress message stating that he had lost control of the aircraft and was flying in circles. Radar tracking showed a brief echo near the A9 airway before the signal disappeared near Trun. The wreckage was eventually located a month later at an altitude of approximately 2,300 meters on the southern slope of Piz Cavistrau. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the Graubünden Cantonal Police, examined the aircraft's flight path, the pilot's experience, and the prevailing meteorological conditions. Investigators analyzed the pilot's radio communications with Zurich Information and reviewed the aircraft's equipment, noting it was not equipped for instrument flight (IFR) and lacked an oxygen system. The investigation also looked into the weather patterns, specifically the effects of the North Föhn wind and the presence of heavy cloud cover and snow in the region.