Courchevel LFLJ PA46 F-GUYZ crash - slight injuries only

Ok, one just has to go for a “low energy landing” with sensible speed for air conditions and bring his own aircraft Tug then ;)

Somedays it will be just tricky to get power and speed that work for both air and ground….

AeroPlus wrote:

I went for lunch to St. Tropez

Were you trying to fly the poshest possible route?

@Noe: I have a site license for La Mole as well so I need to go there once a year to keep it valid. Not a big punishment but a good excuse for not having to ski all day with da family.

AeroPlus wrote:

I need to go there once a year to keep it valid.

I think (and hope!) it’s 2 years. At least that’s what the AIP states, and I see no notams. The 12 month is for Commercial operations.

I’m planning to go there in May or so to revalidate mine, and last time was Aug 2017

Here is another video of Courchevel from October 2017 with a plane from my aeroclub.

I am filming from the back seat, we’re on our way to other interesting places like Valloire:

@Noe: you are right about the 2 years, but when I’m the area already it is always a nice short flight with even on the airfield a nice restaurant.

More info on this accident has surfaced, not from official sources but via one of the French pilot magazines. If what they say is true, it’s a completely ridiculous accident which should leave several people very red faced.

Their claims:
- the flight was conducted as an “experiment” for a start up incubated by Air France
- the plane was leased by this incubator from its owner
- the 3 pax paid for the flight
- there was an experienced pilot in the right seat, but the pilot who did the flying had 286h total time, almost no experience with low wing aircraft, not finished his site qualification and (wait for it): 25 minutes total in the PA46 (not a typo).

Oh, and they landed 200lbs over max landing weight, after a 2h+ flight.

We may want to take those elements as provisional, especially as some parts of the article feel like a very personal attack against the guy who runs the Air France incubator, but on the face of it it’s even worse that I thought.

Denopa, thanks for posting that.

One never knows how much of official accident reports to believe, let alone unofficial ones, but there’s no doubt that the pilot misjudged his touchdown point.

That said, I hesitate to criticise him because while landing at a big altiport like Courchevel is pathetically easy in our light Maules, Cubs and Jodels, a heavily loaded PA46 seems a different proposition.

That’s the whole point indeed. Landing a fast, sleek, overloaded plane you’ve hardly ever flown in on a tricky runway covered in snow… I don’t criticise him because he failed, I criticise him because he tried. And it’s directly impacting my insurance premium, too, as are the tragedies in the Channel and in Canada. Neither of these strike me as bad luck, although I know less about the last one for now.

denopa wrote:

I don’t criticise him because he failed, I criticise him because he tried.

I agree.