Date & Time:
Apr 11, 1980 at 1513 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-310 Navajo
Operator:
Wekos Schrotthandels
Registration:
D-IHRK
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Geneva - Sion
MSN:
31P-7300137
YOM:
1973
Country:
Switzerland
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total hours on type:
100
Circumstances:
On final approach to Sion Airport runway 26, the pilot maintained radio contacts with ATC and all seems normal on board. At low height and low speed, the airplane banked left then right, went out of control and crashed in flames in a road located in the center of the city. The airplane as well as several cars were destroyed. Few buildings were damaged. Both occupants were killed while no one on the ground was injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the left engine was running abnormally fast at the time of impact while the right engine was in idle. No technical issue was found on the engines and it is believed that the pilot made a mistake during the approach by unintentionally shutting off the fuel supply to the right engine. This caused the aircraft to become unstable and the pilot was unable to correct the situation.
Final Report:
D-IHRK.pdf6.75 MB
