Courchevel Savoie France. Crash on landing
 

Saturday Feb 17th. 10:30

An aeroplane tore off one wing on landing and the altiport is closed because of spilt fuel. Pilot and co-pilot slightly injured, taken to local doctor, not hospital

https://www.ledauphine.com/faits-div...e-a-courchevel

A Pilatus Pile Up, er, PC-12...

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/351757

https://airlive.net/emergency/2024/0...chevel-france/

https://m.webcam-hd.com/courchevel-mairie/altiport

Images from Airlive page and altiport webcam.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....eed838d65.jpeg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....c37d9a51f3.jpg

It happened before with another PC12 at Couchevel, landed long and fast and hit the snowbank straight ahead at the end of the up sloping runway..........

... again and again and again... And in this case the same Belgian operator. Hard to believe. "Jamais une fois sans sans deux?" As a recent French BEA safety report just pointed out, this happens every year. Occasionally someone dies. Not this time, and that's good. But when will crews get properly trained? Courchevel is a piece of cake... really simple. But, like everything else, only if you know what long final, short final, and touchdown should look like, and what speeds, and nose up attitude in the flare (your are landing uphill) you need to nail it within 2 Kts and 1º. Like flying an instrument approach. And if the wind's a problem you don't land. If you have a doubt, you don't land. It's that simple. Not rocket science by any any stretch of the imagination. Just basic... I repeat... basic , training, currency. Some call tit airmanship, but it's just common sense.

sure you're not mixing things up with this Malibu accident?

It did happen before to another PC12 ... from the same operator.... Landed short: https://bea.aero/les-enquetes/evenem...courchevel-73/

One does have to bring one's A++-game to Courchevel - every time! The "St. Barts of the Alps."

Well, there is plenty of decent restauration close by and - if you wait long enough - night-life albeit with a somewhat louche reputation.

I recall the rather splendid Tyrolean Airways 50 seat Dash 7 charter operations in to this tiny airport.
Tyrolean Airways had lead the way with Dash 7 Ski flight Ops to Chambery airport, plus they also flew to the tiny mountain top airport of Courchevel where the airfield has a very short runway of only 537 metres with a gradient of 18.6%.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4ca1b89e70.jpg

Rare footage of Tyroleans' Dash 7 landing at Courchevel.
This was so demanding that it does not have a go-around procedure.
Courchevel is a ski resort in the French Alps.
The Altiport (LFLJ) is famous for its sloping runway up to 18.5º. The runway is 1755 ft (535 m) long and elevation of 6580 ft.

I spent may happy hours flyig those woderful aircraft. It was capable of some remarkable things and very safe as well.

Respect to any pilots landing at Courchevel, I don't think I could do it.

At 18.5° up-slope, could you stop safely on the runway, or do you have to get all the way to the top before you dare stop ?

The slope slows you down. It's not big deal. Just need to learn how.Like everything else.

Largest a/c to land there...Herc or Transall...?

With such a slope, some airplanes won't be able to climb up if they stop. So you rather need to add power than to brake.
It's a fairly different landing technique than on flat runways.
I've practised a field with very similar characteristics : maintain final approach power for flare and touchdown : you end up at taxi speed on the top platform.

If I was to land there with a different, larger type, I would reduce power to ensure touchdown and then see what happens. But I would still expect to have to add power, if the speeds are not much larger than the type I first used.

Easily computed with the kinetic vs potential energy equations.

I've been given to understand that in some years it's best avoided (for aviation purposes) for a few days :

A PC-12 will have a landing speed of around 70 KIAS over the threshold - not exactly fast.
It has low pressure tires and a landing gear that can take a firm landing - and thereby kill some airspeed.
It has very good brakes.
It has thrust-reverse on the ground.

Bottom line - not the hardest aircraft to land at Courchevel!

But if you screw it up anyway - no problem - you still walk away :-)

...and they also employ ex F16 pilots on that belgian outfit !!

When I looked at the picture, the first thought I had was to wonder if the wingtip hit a somewhat solid snowbank.