Glider and plane collided mid-air over Swiss Alps, report finds
The site of the glider and plane crashes above Bivio in eastern Switzerland.
Graubünden cantonal police
The glider and small light aircraft that crashed in high mountains in south-eastern Switzerland last month, resulting in five deaths, collided mid-air, an investigation has revealed.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
On Tuesday, the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB), which has been probing the fatal accidents, said that the glider and plane had collided on June 12 at an altitude of 3,200 metres above Bivio in canton Graubünden.
The planes hit the ground below the point of impact and were found about one kilometre apart, the STSB said in its preliminary report.
The glider pilot – a 51-year-old man from Zurich – and the two light aircraft pilots from Neuchâtel, aged 44 and 72, died together with the plane passengers – a 41-year-old woman and her six-year-old son, both French citizens living in canton Vaud.
External Content
The glider had taken off from the village of Amlikon in eastern Switzerland. The Robin DR400 light aircraft meanwhile had left Colombier in canton Neuchâtel with the four people on board.
The Swiss emergency rescue service Rega contacted the police to inform them about the glider crash. However, at the time it was impossible to access the crash site located at 2,700 metres due to poor weather. Rescue teams were only able to travel to the site of the crashed glider the following day, where they discovered also discovered the small aircraft.
Plane crashes with five or more fatalities are rare in Switzerland. In 2018, a vintage Ju-52 plane crashed near Flims in canton Graubünden killing all 20 passengers.
More
More
Five die in plane and glider crashes in eastern Switzerland
This content was published on
Five people lost their lives on Saturday when a glider and a small plane crashed in high mountains above Bivio in canton Graubünden.
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Ministers discuss Swiss-EU deal with Italy and Hungary
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis held diplomatic talks on Monday with their respective counterparts from Italy and Hungary.
UBS will pay $511 million to end Credit Suisse US tax probe
This content was published on
UBS Group AG agreed to pay $511 million ($420 million) to settle a US investigation into how Credit Suisse Group, the Swiss bank it bought, helped rich Americans evade taxes.
This content was published on
Primary school children in the Swiss canton of Nidwalden will not be allowed to use mobile phones and other electronic devices..
This content was published on
Switzerland has increased maximum possible output from hydropower by 43 megawatts compared to last year, according to the Swiss energy ministry.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Five die in plane and glider crashes in eastern Switzerland
This content was published on
Five people lost their lives on Saturday when a glider and a small plane crashed in high mountains above Bivio in canton Graubünden.
Pilots’ ‘high risk flying’ led to fatal crash of Ju-52 plane
This content was published on
Safety investigators have concluded that pilot error led to the accident involving the vintage aircraft that killed 20 people in 2018.
This content was published on
A small tourist plane has crashed over the village of Blatten, southwestern Switzerland. Four people – two Swiss and two Austrians – died.
British composer and renowned musician among plane crash victims
This content was published on
A British composer and an acclaimed saxophonist died along with their baby in a plane crash in western Switzerland on Sunday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.