Six die in Piper PA-32 plane crash in
Switzerland
A Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga single-engine light plane, tail number HB-PGA, crashed on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. local time in the village of Chatel-St-Denis, near Tatroz, Switzerland killing all six occupants, including the pilot, as reported on that date by the Aviation Safety Network, the Basler Zeitung, Die Presse, Austrian Wings, and other European media.
The high performance civilian aircraft had departed about 30 minutes earlier from La Blécherette Airport in Lausanne on a birthday celebration flight to Ecuvillens, the regional airport in the adjoining canton of Fribourg, located on a plateau to the east, at an elevation of 2,293 feet.
The pilot, whose name has not been released, was a Swiss citizen from the
French speaking canton of Vaud.
According to eyewitness accounts, the plane had flown past a residence with people drinking cocktails on a terrace, waving at the aircraft, and talking to the passengers on cell phones.
As the low flying Piper Saratoga circled the village it appeared to clip the roof of a structure, possibly forced into it by a gust of wind, and crashed into an open pasture about 150 feet away, breaking apart and scattering into multiple pieces.
Before the plane went down, people reported hearing a loud "boom", followed by a hissing sound as the aircraft stalled, and then dived into the ground.
The five passengers who died in the crash were said to be local residents. Two of the bodies were ejected from the aircraft as a result of the impact, while the other four were found still strapped into their seats among the wreckage.
The tragic accident took place in the municipality of Attalens in the community of Südfreiburger Tatroz. Attalens has a population of about 2,900 people.
Police confirmed that the deceased included four men and two women, and that there were no survivors.
The Fribourg cantonal police assisted about 50 local fire and emergency crews in blocking off the crash site, reducing the hazards of leaking fuel, collecting the victims and covering their bodies with blankets.
The dead were later taken to the University Center of Forensic Medicine (CURML) in Lausanne for identification and autopsies. Their names have not been released, and will probably not be made public until next Tuesday.
A crisis center staffed by psychologists was set up by local authorities. Most people in the small community were impacted by the tragedy, with many residents personally acquainted with some of the victims.
The accident is being investigated by the Swiss Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Federal Police of the Canton of Fribourg.
The Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga is a six-seat all metal aircraft built between 1980 and 2007 carrying five passengers and a pilot at a maximum speed of 190 miles an hour. The plane has a cruising speed of 160 mph, a range of 1,000 miles, and a service ceiling of 14,600 feet.
According to eyewitness accounts, the plane had flown past a residence with people drinking cocktails on a terrace, waving at the aircraft, and talking to the passengers on cell phones.
As the low flying Piper Saratoga circled the village it appeared to clip the roof of a structure, possibly forced into it by a gust of wind, and crashed into an open pasture about 150 feet away, breaking apart and scattering into multiple pieces.
Before the plane went down, people reported hearing a loud "boom", followed by a hissing sound as the aircraft stalled, and then dived into the ground.
The five passengers who died in the crash were said to be local residents. Two of the bodies were ejected from the aircraft as a result of the impact, while the other four were found still strapped into their seats among the wreckage.
The tragic accident took place in the municipality of Attalens in the community of Südfreiburger Tatroz. Attalens has a population of about 2,900 people.
Police confirmed that the deceased included four men and two women, and that there were no survivors.
The Fribourg cantonal police assisted about 50 local fire and emergency crews in blocking off the crash site, reducing the hazards of leaking fuel, collecting the victims and covering their bodies with blankets.
The dead were later taken to the University Center of Forensic Medicine (CURML) in Lausanne for identification and autopsies. Their names have not been released, and will probably not be made public until next Tuesday.
A crisis center staffed by psychologists was set up by local authorities. Most people in the small community were impacted by the tragedy, with many residents personally acquainted with some of the victims.
The accident is being investigated by the Swiss Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the Federal Police of the Canton of Fribourg.
The Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga is a six-seat all metal aircraft built between 1980 and 2007 carrying five passengers and a pilot at a maximum speed of 190 miles an hour. The plane has a cruising speed of 160 mph, a range of 1,000 miles, and a service ceiling of 14,600 feet.
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