Swiss Accident Investigation Board Final Report: Cirrus SR20 HB-KHA Collision with Terrain in Val Tremola

Incident Overview and Investigation Scope nOn July 2, 2006, at 15:15 local time, a single-engine Cirrus SR20, registration HB-KHA, struck terrain in the Val Tremola valley, Gemeinde Airolo, Ticino, Switzerland. The aircraft was destroyed, and both occupants—a French pilot and a German passenger—sustained serious injuries. The Swiss Accident Investigation Board (SAIB) opened an investigation on the same day in collaboration with the Tessin cantonal police. The report focuses solely on accident prevention and does not assign liability. n## Aircraft and Operational Details nThe aircraft was a 2005 Cirrus SR20, a four-seat, single-engine, low-wing composite aircraft with fixed landing gear, manufactured by Cirrus Design Corporation. It was owned by Propair Ltd in Binningen and operated by the Motorfluggruppe Basel. The engine was a 200 HP Teledyne Continental TCM IO-360-ES6B. At the time of the accident, the airframe had 210:41 flight hours. The pilot had disabled the aircraft’s terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) prior to departure. n## Flight History and Crew Background nThe pilot, a 1958-born French national holding a Swiss private pilot license, had a total of 315:06 flight hours, with 23:36 hours on the Cirrus SR20 type. He had not completed the recommended introductory mountain flight for Ambri. Earlier in the day, he flew from Basel-Mülhausen to Ambri for a fly-in. For the return flight, he did not file an ATC flight plan or a flight report. The passenger was a 1969-born German national. n## Probable Cause and Contributing Factors nAccording to the SAIB, the accident occurred because the pilot flew the aircraft too low into a narrow valley, making it impossible to execute a turning maneuver or clear the pass, resulting in a terrain collision. Contributing factors included insufficient knowledge of mountain flying techniques and an overestimation of the aircraft’s performance capabilities. No safety recommendations were issued in this specific report, though the incident contributed to broader investigations into ballistic recovery systems.