Background
The aircraft, a Socata TB 10 Tobago registered D-ELMY, was owned and operated by Flugsportgruppe Bölkow Ottobrunn e.V. of Munich. It was a single-engine, four-seat low-wing monoplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, manufactured in 1988. The Lycoming O-360-A1AD engine produced 180 horsepower. The aircraft had accumulated 1,195 flight hours at the time of the accident.
Flight History
On 26 June 1992, three pilots from the flying group departed Eggenfelden, Germany, for a multi-day trip to Italy and Corsica. On 28 June, the aircraft took off from Calvi, Corsica, at 12:12 local time for the return flight to Eggenfelden. The flight plan specified a route via Genoa, Voghera, Saronno, Samedan, and Eurach. The pilot-in-command on the left seat was Y, with X on the right seat acting as safety pilot, and Z as a passenger in the rear. The last radio contact was with Milano FIC at 14:11 UTC, when the aircraft reported being overhead Como.
Accident Sequence
After passing Lake Como, the aircraft entered the Bregaglia valley (Val Bregaglia) at low altitude. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying at low height, following the southern slope. At Casaccia, the aircraft was seen at 100–150 meters above ground, heading up the valley. A right turn was initiated near Canova, shortly before the steep ascent to the Maloja Pass. The aircraft struck treetops and crashed on a rocky slope at an elevation of 1,580 meters, 30 meters above the valley floor. The wreckage came to rest in a wooded area with the fuselage nose crushed upward.
Injuries and Damage
Both pilots, X and Y, sustained fatal injuries. The passenger Z was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. Minor forest damage occurred.
Weather Conditions
According to the Swiss Meteorological Institute, the general weather was influenced by a high-pressure system over Scotland. At the accident site, conditions included 3–8 oktas cumulus clouds with a base at 2,300 meters, 20 km visibility, valley wind from the Maloja direction at 10–15 knots, temperature 15°C, and dew point 9°C. Witnesses reported fog hanging on the mountain peaks, reduced visibility, and clouds enveloping the mountains above approximately 2,500 meters.
Investigation Findings
The investigation concluded that the aircraft entered the valley at too low an altitude, followed an erroneous mountain flying tactic, and initiated the turning maneuver too late. No mechanical anomalies were reported; the engine was operating normally before impact.