Accident Overview
On 5 July 2000, a Piper Aztec PA-23-250, registration C-FBQS, operated by a private pilot, collided with a mountain approximately 12 kilometres south of the town of Bulle, near the Pointe de Cray in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. The pilot was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
Flight History
The aircraft had arrived in Saanen, Switzerland, on 18 July 2000 after a flight from Toronto, Canada. On the day of the accident, the pilot intended to return to Canada with Cardiff, Great Britain, as the first intended stop. The pilot arrived at the aerodrome around 08:00 local time and prepared the flight plan, which called for a visual flight rules (VFR) departure from Saanen to the waypoint REVLI, followed by an instrument flight rules (IFR) segment. The pilot discussed possible routes with two other pilots, one of whom flew a Pilatus Porter towards Gruyères but turned back due to poor weather. At 12:46, after seeing a blue hole above the aerodrome, the pilot departed alone on runway 08. The aircraft made a left turn back over the aerodrome and was tracked by the flight information service (FIS) officer towards the west and then southwest. The pilot's last radio transmission stated, "actually I'm in a good position for leaving straight ahead." A witness at Château-d'Oex, also a pilot, observed the aircraft begin a rapid descent to remain below the cloud base, reaching an estimated altitude of 3500 feet MSL. The witness later reported that conditions at Montbovon were very poor, with visibility around 1 kilometre and a ceiling of 2500–3000 feet MSL. The aircraft was last seen near the village of La Tine. Minutes later, it struck a mountain a few metres below the summit, likely in a slight right turn on a heading of approximately 150 degrees.
Meteorological Conditions
General conditions were influenced by a depression centred over northern Italy with a returning warm occlusion. The Alps north of the Alps experienced a sunless day with heavy morning rain (10–30 mm). Skies were mostly overcast with low clouds due to high humidity. At the time of departure, the FIS officer reported visibility between 6 and 8 kilometres and a ceiling of 5000–6500 feet at Saanen. Observations from Bern-Belp indicated rain and low ceilings throughout the morning.
Investigation
The Swiss Accident Investigation Board (BEAA) conducted the investigation with the assistance of the cantonal police. The aircraft struck a steep, rocky slope at an elevation of approximately 1800 metres, 15 metres below the summit. The wreckage slid about 80 metres downhill. The pilot's body was found outside the wreckage; he was not wearing a seatbelt. The aircraft's GPS was damaged and its data could not be retrieved. The investigation determined that the aircraft was within its weight and centre-of-gravity limits. The aircraft had a valid certificate of airworthiness and had been maintained 10 days prior.
Probable Cause
The accident was caused by the pilot continuing visual flight under instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in collision with terrain.