Summary
On 2 September 1961, a Pilatus Porter aircraft registered as HB-FAZ crashed on the Dôme du Goûter in the Mont Blanc massif. The flight was part of a mission to prospect potential landing platforms in high mountain terrain. Both crew members survived with minor injuries, but the aircraft was extensively damaged.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Pilatus Porter, serial number 343, built by Pilatus Flugzeugwerke AG of Switzerland. It was registered HB-FAZ and had a valid certificate of airworthiness issued on 20 July 1961. The engine was a Lycoming GSO-480 (340 hp) with a Hartzell propeller. The aircraft had accumulated 192 hours and 39 minutes of flight time since manufacture.
Air Alpes, a French airline, leased the aircraft from Pilatus while awaiting delivery of a Turbo Porter. The crew consisted of two pilots: the pilot-in-command, born in 1936, held a professional pilot license and a Swiss special permit (glacier flying). He had 625 hours total flight time, including 5 hours on type. The navigator, born in 1934, also held a professional pilot license and a Swiss special permit, with about 550 hours total, including 12 hours on type. Both had completed glacier pilot training in Sion, Switzerland, with multiple landings on various glaciers.
Flight Details
The flight departed from Chambéry-Aix-les-Bains airfield at 05:50 local time. The aircraft was equipped with skis and carried a full fuel load (280 kg) plus mountain equipment (30 kg including crampons, rope, oxygen bottles, snowshoes, and skis). Three seats were removed. The estimated takeoff weight was 1660 kg, within the maximum authorized weight of 1960 kg. The crew had filed a flight plan with the airfield commander to facilitate search efforts if needed.
They first landed at Col Infranchissable at 06:40, then again at 07:22. Departing at 07:28, they landed on Glacier du Tour at 07:50. There, the navigator took the controls. After two local flights on Glacier du Tour, they departed for Dôme du Goûter at approximately 08:10. After waiting for slight local cloudiness to dissipate, they landed around 08:40.
Accident
After about 10 minutes on the ground with the engine running, the pilot applied power and aligned the aircraft downhill for takeoff in the direction of two crevasses approximately 150 meters apart. The aircraft failed to reach sufficient speed to become airborne before reaching the crevasses. The landing gear struck the lower lips of both crevasses successively, and the aircraft crashed onto its belly. Both crew members evacuated through emergency exits.
A gendarme at Aiguille du Midi witnessed the accident and alerted authorities via radio. The High Mountain Gendarmerie dispatched an Alouette helicopter to the site. The crew notified Chambéry airfield after reaching inhabited areas.
Outcome
The aircraft suffered very serious damage, estimated at 80% or more, no passenger or cargo was carried. The crew sustained only minor contusions and superficial injuries. Recovery of the wreck by helicopter was deemed too expensive and was not attempted; snowfall the following day further complicated any potential recovery operation.