Synopsis
On 25 August 2019, at approximately 10:25 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201 Arrow IV, registration G-BVDH, operated by a private owner and pilot, crashed on the north-west slope of the Hübschhorn near Simplon Pass, Switzerland. The aircraft was destroyed. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The accident occurred during cruise flight under visual flight rules.
History of the Flight
The pilot, a British citizen born in 1968, held a Private Pilot Licence (Aeroplane) issued under EASA by the UK CAA. He had accumulated 361 total flight hours, with 183 hours on the PA-28RT-201 type. The flight originated from North Weald Airfield, England, with a stop in Troyes, France, and an overnight stay in Lausanne–La Blécherette, Switzerland. On 25 August 2019, the pilot filed an ICAO flight plan to Perugia, Italy. He amended the lateral route on his electronic tablet to follow the valley path through the Alps.
At 09:43, the aircraft took off from Lausanne with three people on board. The pilot navigated using a tablet fixed on the control wheel. After passing Martigny, the pilot contacted Sion Tower and was cleared to cross the control zone. When leaving the zone, the controller gave the frequency of Geneva Information, but no radio contact was established. At 10:23, near Brig at an altitude of 6100 ft AMSL and a groundspeed of 120 kt, the pilot turned right toward the Simplon Pass. At 10:25, witnesses observed the aircraft at low height with a high pitch-up attitude before impacting the north-west face of the Hübschhorn.
Accident Site and Wreckage
The accident site was located at 2246 m (7364 ft AMSL) on a steep scree slope about 1.5 km south-east of the Simplon Pass. The aircraft impacted in an almost flat attitude and slid approximately 10 metres before stopping. A post-crash fire occurred. The cabin and cockpit were destroyed by fire; the engine compartment was severely damaged. The T-tail assembly was separated from the fuselage. The right wing tip showed less damage than the left. The undercarriage was retracted, and the flap selector was in the retracted position. The propeller deformation indicated the engine was delivering power at impact. No Emergency Locator Transmitter was installed.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28RT-201 Arrow IV, a four-seat, low-wing, single-engine aircraft with a T-tail and retractable undercarriage. It was manufactured in 1979. The engine was a Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 producing 200 hp. The propeller was a McCauley variable-pitch, two-blade type. The aircraft had accumulated 4391.24 hours total time, and the engine had 124 hours since overhaul. The mass and centre of gravity were within limits. Fuel at departure was sufficient for the planned flight plus 45 minutes reserve. The last 50-hour maintenance was performed on 8 November 2018, and the last annual inspection was also current.