Novice pilot’s Alpine crash-landing on Cima di Cece saves the day

[Lyneham Lad]

In The Times today.
Novice pilot’s Alpine crash-landing on Cima di Cece saves the day (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/f1330114-8876-11ed-8ebd-06f6e5e80272?shareToken=ba0a956defd507d6df99611d924875f1)

A 22-year-old novice pilot successfully crash-landed a light aircraft on a mountain in the Dolomites, saving the lives of her two passengers.

Silvia De Bon said she had no time to think when the Piper PA-28 began to lose power near the Cima di Cece which, at 2,754 metres (9,035ft), is the tallest peak in the Lagorai mountain chain.

She pulled back on the control wheel and managed to bellyflop the plane on to a snow-covered slope near the top of the mountain, sustaining nothing more serious than cuts to her face and a headache that prompted hospital staff in Trento to keep her in overnight on Wednesday.

Her companions, her brother Mattia De Bon, 27, and his girlfriend, Giorgia Qualizza, 28, were unhurt. They were taken off the mountain by helicopter after finding shelter nearby and phoning for help. “We were passing just under the peak of Cima di Cece, but between the cold and the thin air the engine lost power,” De Bon said. “I was travelling at around 80km/h and I tried to get higher by pulling back the control wheel, but when the engine loses power at a certain speed you start to fall. I said to myself, ‘I’m going to crash’. Then I just tried to put the plane at the same angle as the slope.”

She said she had to choose immediately whether to pull away to the side of the mountain or crash just beneath the ridge at the top of the Val di Fiemme, realising that she would have clipped the rocks if she tried to turn.

Click the link for remainder and photos.

[jimjim1]

Here is the picture of the crash from the article.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/592x395/_2fmethode_2ftimes_2fprod_2fweb_2fbin_2f074f1eca_8862_11ed_8 ebd_06f6e5e80272_868141b899763823488d8ec02bcc32565e8b6106.jp g

[meleagertoo]

Novices and mountains are a hazardous mix.
I hope she goes on a mountain flying course before trying that stunt again.

[HOVIS]

Text book Fly-on-the-wall landing. 😁

[Maoraigh1]

She is reported to have flown that pass several times before. Her decision making was impressive. Loss of power leads to descent into valley, no room to turn, gets enough speed to climb parallel to the steep slope and stall onto it.
I'd suggest she TEACHES some mountain flying courses.

[OvertHawk]

She is reported to have flown that pass several times before. Her decision making was impressive. Loss of power leads to descent into valley, no room to turn, gets enough speed to climb parallel to the steep slope and stall onto it.
I'd suggest she TEACHES some mountain flying courses.

I'm reminded of the two kinds of superior pilot.

The one that uses superior skill to get out of trouble

And the one that uses superior judgment to avoid getting into trouble in the first place.

Was it "loss of power" or was it "insufficient power"?

Whichever - Glad they all walked away - it could have ended very badly indeed.

[EXDAC]

"“We were passing just under the peak of Cima di Cece, but between the cold and the thin air the engine lost power,” De Bon said. “I was travelling at around 80km/h and I tried to get higher by pulling back the control wheel, but when the engine loses power at a certain speed you start to fall. I said to myself, ‘I’m going to crash’. Then I just tried to put the plane at the same angle as the slope.”

Based on that account, and considering the reported airspeed, vote for either a) takes a mountain flying course, or b) teaches a mountain flying course.

It would be interesting to see the ADS-B data plotted on a GE depiction of the terrain.

[DaveReidUK]

Novices and mountains are a hazardous mix.
I hope she goes on a mountain flying course before trying that stunt again.

What alternative stunt would you recommend, following an engine failure over the mountains ?

[EXDAC]

What alternative stunt would you recommend, following an engine failure over the mountains ?

Where is there any indication that the engine failed? I don't see that in the account provided by the pilot.

[cncpc]

Novices and mountains are a hazardous mix.
I hope she goes on a mountain flying course before trying that stunt again.
Why? What stunt was that?

[EXDAC]

video of the recovery here -

https://www.ildolomiti.it/video/montagna/2022/il-video-prima-gli-imbraghi-poi-il-volo-agganciato-allelicottero-recuperato-laereo-planato-sul-lagorai

This article gives a better idea of the location:

https://www.ildolomiti.it/cronaca/2022/laereo-precipita-ma-il-pilota-riesce-a-farlo-atterrare-in-un-canalone-sulla-neve-paura-nel-lagorai-ma-tutte-le-persone-a-bordo-stanno-bene

[sitigeltfel]

Rough translated excerpt from Italian press...

«When my son called me, asking me if someone could bring him home and that everyone was fine, then I understood everything - says Ettore - Silvia told me that the plane already had ignition problems in Trento, so she called her inspector who explained to her how she should do it». And again: «Going to high altitude, she experienced other troubles – she adds – She told me that the plane went down in a nosedive and that she saved herself by applying the rescue maneuvers. He lost consciousness for a moment and can't remember the moments before the bang. My daughter did that journey several times, she knew it well. She just returned from Florida where she earned her US patent. A miracle that she's alive, I really hope she'll forget about flying, even though she always tells me it's more likely to die in a road accident than in a flight.'

The Corriere del Veneto newsletter.

[Capt Scribble]

80 km/hr at 9000ft and attempting a climb! I think the 'Stalling 1' lesson covers the consequences.

[meleagertoo]

“We were passing just under the peak of Cima di Cece" is exactly where, on the 'wrong' side of the peak, you'd find descending air that even in a light breeze (at 9,000ft?) would easily defeat a loaded Warrior's weedy ability to outclimb it. And if, as she admits, she'd have clipped rocks if she'd tried to turn away she hadn't left herself an escape route.
In other words it seems all too likely she painted herself into a corner, the classic and most basic mountain flying error.

[ATC Watcher]

My remarks : \
1) 80Km/h . I do not know of any PA28 which has a metric IAS, most likely it was 80 MPH , which would be consistant with an attempt to climb.
2) Engine lost power : Wind a 9000 ft on that perticular day / time and relation to the terrain would give us a clue . My guess , engine was fine , a downdraft just exceding the performance of the aircraft to keep level, let alone to climb over the terrain .
3) She knew the area well : In winter ? In the mountains flying in late evening with no wind in the Summer for instance will not give you any winter windy experience at all.
4) Overall Experience, : learning to fly in Florida and exercising its priviledges in the wnter in Europe has never been a good combination .
5) She should teach mountain flying : yes, but after following an isntructor course and obtaining a mountain rating.

That said, she was lucky, she did very well on the slope landing and save her and her pax. But treating her as a hero ?

[EXDAC]

The accident aircraft is an Archer II not a Warrior according to this ASN report. - https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/305342

re "Silvia told me that the plane already had ignition problems in Trento, so she called her inspector who explained to her how she should do it"

Sounds to me like a weak translation of - "I can't start it. What do I do?" I still don't see anything suggesting that the engine failed.

[EXDAC]

re "Silvia told me that the plane already had ignition problems in Trento, so she called her inspector who explained to her how she should do it"

Sounds to me like a weak translation of - "I can't start it. What do I do?" I still don't see anything suggesting that the engine failed.

Could also have been a rough run-up due to a fouled plug. Not uncommon for the O-360 if not leaned for taxi.

[visibility3miles]

3) She knew the area well : In winter ? In the mountains flying in late evening with no wind in the Summer for instance will not give you any winter windy experience at all.

You can have plenty of wind experience in the mountains year round, summer and winter.

I have had mountain training and was told to ALWAYS learn what the wind speeds were before you tried going through mountain passes, and to just not go if it was too high.

I know what updrafts and downs drafts can do to a small plane - they can change your rate of climb or descent by 1000 to 1500 fpm.

The service ceiling for a Piper Archer is around 14,000 feet per the internet. 9,000 feet is well below that, but it is still thin air.

Plus, you should lean the mixture for optimal performance when flying at that altitude.

[Maoraigh1]

"My daughter did that journey several times, she knew it well. She just returned from Florida where she earned her US patent."
Had she been flying on an EASA Licence and recently added an FAA one?

[EXDAC]

Had she been flying on an EASA Licence and recently added an FAA one?

FAA on-line pilot registry shows the accident pilot was issued private pilot airplane single engine land based on a foreign (Italy) license. Date of issue October 17, 2022.

[EXDAC]

More complete video of the recovery here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULep7Rdw3Sw&t=53s&ab_channel=ServiceVideoPat

The accident site is well off the direct route from LIDT to LIDB and there appears to be no need to cross the ridge to reach the destination. That's an observation not a criticism. I enjoy playing close to the rocks and the views there must be spectacular.

[B2N2]

This may have been induction icing or carb icing. Incorrect leaning. Three adults and fuel in a PA28 and you’re close to weight limits.
At a density altitude of 9000’ the rate of climb is below 500ft/min. Even just a whiff of a downdraft puts you in a decent.
Maybe lost a magneto hence the starting issues.
She saved her passengers and let’s be gentle judging the inexperienced.
There’s an appropriate saying about a bucket of luck and bucket of experience.

[hans brinker]

I am certainly no expert, but on the recovery video for the prop it looks like only the bottom blade is bent, and the top blade undamaged.

[blind pew]

Extremely lucky that she didn’t slide backwards off the mountain. Single blade damage reflects that the engine had stopped and the bend that it acted as a brake. One landed in a field and had to play one armed bandit getting the straps and canopy off whilst holding onto the wheel brake to stop the glider running back downhill.

[MissChief]

Lucky lady, if foolish. Mountain passes are not for the novice, as she evidently is. Mountain flying requires specific knowledge not covered in any PPL syllabus. I would venture to suggest that this tyro knows nothing about mountain flying.

[ATC Watcher]

I am certainly no expert, but on the recovery video for the prop it looks like only the bottom blade is bent, and the top blade undamaged.
indeed and it would indicate the engine was stopped, could be by itself if it broke down but also if she followed the emergency procedures i.e. cut the fuel and ignition before putting it down ,

FAA on-line pilot registry shows the accident pilot was issued private pilot airplane single engine land based on a foreign (Italy) license. Date of issue October 17, 2022.

So she did not "learn to fly "in the US and she could have much more experience that we discuss here then, A good reminder that we should always be careful in passing definite judgements based on newspaper reports...

[EXDAC]

The accident location appears to be close to 46° 15.488'N 11° 39.847'E at an elevation of about 7,000 ft. That's only about 100 ft short of clearing the ridgeline.

Approach to the ridge appears to have been from the North and a GE view of the terrain shows there were no good options at that altitude.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1157x633/accident_site_e0dc5579f681ce1bb00b1551495f5ce652474c1d.png

All the above based on my interpretation of information linked in the ASN report. https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/305342

[meleagertoo]

As the prop blade is bent forwards I would dispute that the engine was not running or it could not have been bent that way.

[avionimc]

My remarks : \
5) She should teach mountain flying : yes, but after following an instructor course and obtaining a mountain rating.Hopefully she will read these basic premises before her next flight (we all should!) :
Minimum Knowledge for Mountain Flying (https://www.mountainflying.com/Pages/mountain-flying/min_knowledge.html)

[visibility3miles]

The highest point in Florida is 345 feet above sea level, so they don’t practice much in the way of mountain flying. They may never even need to lean the mixture at higher altitude.

However, it is a relatively inexpensive place to fly since the weather is pretty nice year round due to warm weather, despite the occasional rain and hurricanes.

This does not mean that the woman didn’t have plenty of training and experience in Italy, especially as she’d flown this route several times before.

The comment in avionics’s post is correct. You should be at least 2,000 feet above a mountain pass at high altitude, as a strong downdraft can make that margin disappear quickly.

Flying at high altitudes is akin to being a glider pilot. You need to pay attention to which way the wind blows and where there will be downdrafts versus updrafts, and plan your path with this in mind.

[NutLoose]

As the prop blade is bent forwards I would dispute that the engine was not running or it could not have been bent that way.

I agree, the blade is bent forward, a classic sign of an engine under power, there is also about three inches or more of the blade missing as seen by the single white tip band as opposed to two on the other, unless it’s a strobing prop, so it probably hit a rock or similar under the snow and more or less stopped dead, as said, if it wasn’t running it would have bent back on impact when the nose gear collapsed.
Sliding backwards would not remove part of a blade and there is no signs of that movement in the snow, bearing in mind the dusting of fresh stuff on the aircraft.

[DaveReidUK]

so it probably hit a rock or similar under the snow and more or less stopped dead, as said

Sounds a bit like the irresistible force and the immovable object ... :O

It's very rare to see a photo of a prop on a running engine that has hit the ground and yet one or more blades has remained intact and undamaged (though no doubt some PPRuNer will find one!).

[NutLoose]

It just depends on the initial strike and as you say an immovable object to stop the engine.

Yep I did, I found a couple :O

https://stewsaero.com/resurrecting-88m-our-cessna-182/

Suprised by this one considering the damage

https://www.globalparts.com/listings/details/159/

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Cn5I78wyBk Z8BXezdIcfXAHaGa%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=b8ea67f3873df66a17388087b6676c377dd0de1935f4e2452361d72d bf0a12ce&ipo=images

[meleagertoo]

It's very rare to see a photo of a prop on a running engine that has hit the ground and yet one or more blades has remained intact and undamaged (though no doubt some PPRuNer will find one!).

I can picture that in an aircraft with little forward speed sinking onto deep snow and ice. If the descent was fast enough the first blare might be the only one to enounter the surface and stop the engine rapidly but progressively within less than half turn. That wouldn't provide the usual instant shattering impact on concrete that bends crankshafts.
Rather like the P51 that chewed on a Malibu's tail recently, little damage to the engine or prop as nothing very substantial was hit.

[hoistop]

T
The comment in avionics’s post is correct. You should be at least 2,000 feet above a mountain pass at high altitude, as a strong downdraft can make that margin disappear quickly.

Flying at high altitudes is akin to being a glider pilot. You need to pay attention to which way the wind blows and where there will be downdrafts versus updrafts, and plan your path with this in mind.

I cannot agree more. Archer with 3 POB at 9000ft is barely climbing. I fly at an airfield surrounded with 9500ft peaks for the last 30ish years and have plenty of hours in gliders mountain flying and have seen quite some scary moments. My "record" was approx. 3000ft altitude loss in less than a minute - hitting the wrong side of a tremendous rotor under an atmospheric wave, when trying to catch the upside of rotor to climb into the wave. No regular powered piston engine airplane can outclimb that.
Flying in the mountains requires specific knowledge, as there are significant vertical air movements present, limited options for outlanding, traps in the form of "one way street", and sudden local changes of weather, (cloud formation...) that can turn deadly.
In above case, I will risk a prediction that nothing significant was wrong with the engine, but airplane simply could not climb faster than terrain it was approaching and just ran out of air under the wings while attempting to fly thru a col - a giant Venturi tube. A colleague of mine did same thing a few years ago in the same type of airplane - with no survivors. He mostly flew in flat land.
When flying in the mountains, the first thing is to know very well what the wind is doing - not only general wind forecast, but keeping an eye on actual local winds aloft - they can differ significantly from general wind on top, as the air curls around peaks and ridges and turn along ridges, etc. It is a good practice to watch what water is doing when flowing over and between the rocks in a stream/river. I did this for hours on the nearby bridge. It gives you an idea where an updraft might be and which side of the valley to avoid. When it is windy, you often need to change a flight path laterally just for a few hundred meters and you will climb comfortably instead of hanging on all available power to maintain the altitude. Also, think of thermals - they can create tremendous uplifts, but quite often, there is similar downdraft nearby.
Flying thru a col/mountain pass is a special task of mountain flying: not much place to turn around, not exactly sure what is on the other side (you sure the area on the other side is not full of clouds?) and the worst is an invisible local headwind, that might become obvious only in the last seconds before the pass, as Venturi effect comes into working. When this happens, your ground speed decreases and surrounding air starts to settle and it is getting worse when you are getting closer, so crossing the col can become a very scary experience. Did that (too) many times, especially on competition flying, where competition fever might lower safety limits. (that was the reason I stopped flying glider competitions, as I did too many things that were obviously stupid - in the hindsight) Even some of the best pilots were caught in col crossings, like Klaus Holighaus - a world-class glider pilot that died when trying to cross another pass just a little too short and encountered downdraft of about 2m/sec in the last moments.
https://www.sust.admin.ch/inhalte/AV-berichte/1590.pdf Hope I will never run into such event - he was most respected pilot from all of us and yet...
My recipe for mountain pass / col crossing is NEVER reduce speed but instead INCREASE it significantly when aiming for a crossing (means you need sufficient altitude to come to the pass from above, not trying to trundle thru in a straight and level flight, or, God forbid, in a climb). Extra speed should provide energy to use if downdraft is encountered, allowing for U turn without (significant) loss of altitude and not relying on engine power- but must be executed before place (and options) becomes too narrow. If you cannot keep the col crossing on "glide path"+safety margin with this increased speed (and sink rate), do not go closer. Do practice (not too) sharp U turns, becouse if you try it first time when panic settles in, there is a good chance for pulling too much and with added turbulence, etc. AOA might go beyond critical and you will spin into the ground violently.
If you intend to fly in the mountains, I would suggest first take a flight with a twin seat glider on a reasonably windy day with experienced pilot, if there is an option for that - it will be an eye-opener.

[cooperplace]

I'm reminded of the two kinds of superior pilot.

The one that uses superior skill to get out of trouble

And the one that uses superior judgment to avoid getting into trouble in the first place.


Had the same thought: the superior pilot uses their superior judgement so their superior flying skills are not needed. When I fly over mountains I plan to have lots of spare altitude in case something goes wrong; or I don't fly there. Suspect she'll adopt a similar approach from now on. Glad all are OK.