Cannes

The single engine airplane departed Cannes-Mandelieu Airport on a private flight to Courchevel with two passengers and one pilot on board. The goal of the flight was to maintain the validity of the pilot to access to the Courchevel Altiport. Following a right hand base leg, the pilot configured the airplane to land on runway 22. On final, the altimeter showed an altitude close to the runway threshold, and the aircraft was levelled off to the runway threshold. A few seconds before landing, the stall warning sounded, the engine power was increased and then reduced completely. The undercarriage impacted an embankment above the runway threshold and were torn off. The airplane lifted a bit then fell back onto the runway. It slid for about 100 metres before coming to rest. A fire erupted on the right side of the fuselage. The pilot and the front passenger exited the aircraft through the rear door and managed to extract the rear passenger, who was unconscious and died a few minutes later.

At 1357 hrs the airplane had taken off from Cannes-Mandelieu Airport, France, to a private flight to Egelsbach Airfield, Germany. On board were the pilot and two passengers. According to the flight plan cruise flight was planned for Flight Level (FL)260. At 1519:03 hrs the pilot established contact with Frankfurt Radar, and informed the controller that the airplane was in descent to FL60 towards reporting point UBENO. The radar recordings show that the airplane was flying towards 335° and transmitted the transponder code 4065. The radar controller issued the descent clearance to 4,000 ft AMSL and conveyed a QNH of 1,020 hPa. At 1519:25 hrs the controller addressed the pilot: “[…] proceed direct DELTA, runway zero eight in use.” The pilot acknowledged the clearance. At 1520:20 hrs the controller instructed the pilot to descend to 3,500 ft AMSL. After the pilot had acknowledged the controller’s question, the change of flight rules from IFR to VFR was conducted at 1521 hrs about 16 NM south of Egelsbach Airfield. At the time, the airplane was at about 5,000 ft AMSL with a ground speed of approximately 240 kt. At 1522:34 hrs, the airplane was at 3,500 ft AMSL and about 14 NM from the airfield, the pilot established radio contact with Egelsbach Information with the words: “[…] inbound DELTA, descending VFR.” The Flugleiter (A person required by German regulation at uncontrolled aerodromes to provide aerodrome information service to pilots) answered: “Hello […] runway zero eight, QNH one zero two zero, squawk four four four one.” The pilot acknowledged the landing direction and the QNH. The communicated transponder code was not acknowledged, and did not change during the remainder of the flight, according to the radar recording. At 1524:34 hrs the Flugleiter gave the pilot the hint: “[…] the maximum altitude in this area is one thousand five hundred feet.” The pilot answered: “Roger, continue descent […].” At this time, altitude was still about 2,000 ft AMSL. According to the radar recording, at 1524:45 hrs the airplane turned right in northern direction toward the DELTA approach path to runway 08 of Egelsbach Airfield. Altitude was about 1,900 ft AMSL, and ground speed 170 kt. At 1526:30 hrs, at about the Tank- und Rastanlage Gräfenhausen (resting facility) at the Bundesautobahn A5 (motorway), it began to turn right up to north-eastern direction. At 1526:44 hrs the Flugleiter addressed the pilot: “[…] do you have the field in sight?” The pilot responded: “Ah, not yet […].” At the time, the airplane was about 1,000 m south-west of threshold 08 at the western outskirts of Erzhausen flying a northeastern heading. The Flugleiter added: “I suggest to reduce, you are now in right base.” After the pilot had answered with “Roger”, the Flugleiter added: “You are number one to land. The wind is zero four zero, one zero knots.” At 1527:04 hrs, the airplane was about 300 m south of threshold 08 flying a northeastern heading, the radio message“[…] approach” of the pilot was recorded. From then on the airplane began to turn left. At 1527:11 hrs, the airplane crossed runway 08 with a ground speed of about 100 kt at very low altitude with northern heading. At 1527:24 hrs the pilot said: “[…] may I the […] make an orbit?” The Flugleiter answered: “Yes, do it to your left-hand side and do not overfly the highway westbound.” At 1527:31 hrs, the last radar target was recorded at approximately 600 m north-west of threshold 08 indicating an altitude of about 425 ft AMSL. About 100 m south-west of it the airplane crashed to the ground and caught fire. All three occupants suffered fatal injuries. At the time of the accident, three persons were in the Tower of the airfield. The Flugleiter, as tower controller, his replacement, and the apron controller. They observed that the airplane flew directly towards the tower coming from the DELTA approach in descent with north-eastern heading, i.e. diagonal to the landing direction. In this phase the landing gear extended. Two witnesses, who were at the airport close to the tower, stated that they had seen the airplane during the left-hand turn. They estimated the bank angle during the turn with 30-45°. The two occupants of a Piper PA-28, which had been on approach to runway 08, stated that they had become aware of the other airplane, before changing from downwind leg to final approach. They also stated that during the turn the airplane went into a dive and impacted the ground after about a half turn. Approximately 330 m north-east of the accident site, persons had been walking in a forest. One of them recorded a video. This recording was made available for investigation purposes. The video shows the shadow of the airplane moving west immediately prior to the accident. Consistent engine sounds and, 8 seconds after the shadow passed, the crash of the airplane can be heard. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire and all three occupants were killed, among them Natalia Fileva, co-owner of the Russian Operator S7 Airlines.

The single engine aircraft departed Cannes-Mandelieu Airport on a private flight to Triengen, Switzerland, with one passenger and one pilot on board. Shortly after takeoff from runway 17, while in initial climb, the pilot noticed engine troubles and the speed dropped. He was able to maintain a straight-in path and eventually ditched the airplane few hundred metres offshore. Both occupants were slightly injured and the aircraft sank and was lost.

The single engine aircraft departed Cannes-Mandelieu Airport at 1040LT bound for Courtrai-Wevelgem Airport, Belgium, with four passengers and one pilot on board. About one hour and 40 minutes into the flight, while cruising in IMC conditions at FL240, the aircraft start a quick descent to the right until FL149. Speed increased and the overspeed warning sound came on. Forty-five seconds after the start of the quick descent, the airplane initiated a climb with a rate of 10,000 feet per minute until it stalled at FL201, still in IMC conditions. The airplane then entered a dive and went into a flat attitude when it went out of clouds at an altitude estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 feet. This altitude was insufficient to the pilot to regain control and without external visual references, he lost control of the airplane that crashed in a wooded area. The pilot and a passenger were killed while three other passengers were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Following an uneventful flight from Cannes-Mandelieu Airport, the pilot initiated the approach to Barcelonnette-Saint-Pons Airport Runway 27. Following an unstabilized approach, the aircraft landed hard, causing the left main gear to collapse. The aircraft veered off runway to the left, lost its right main gear and came to rest. There was no fire. All five occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The single engine airplane departed Budel-Kempen Airport on a flight to Cannes-Mandelieu, carrying four passengers and one pilot. During initial climb, the pilot selected gear up and was attempting to retract the flaps when the engine failed. The aircraft lost height and crash landed in an open field, coming to rest on its belly 1,500 metres from the runway end. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While cruising in poor visibility due to low clouds, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Serres. The wreckage was found a day later and both occupants were killed.

After passing over the Alps and a layer of stratus over the Plateau, the pilot reached the Willisau VOR where he was cleared to initiate an IFR approach to Grenchen Airport runway 25. He completed a standard turn then followed the 290° radial instead of the published 280° radial. When the DME system indicated 7 NM, the pilot realized he was too far from the normal approach track, disengaged the automatic pilot system and elected to gain altitude. In a flaps down/gear down configuration, the aircraft failed to gain sufficient height and struck, in poor visibility due to thick fog, the wooded slope of Mt Balmfluechöpfli (1,289 metres high) located about 12 km northeast of Grenchen Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and the pilot was killed. The female passenger, slightly injured as she was seating in the seat opposite to the direction of flight, was able to walk away to ask for help.