PC 12 down near Solemont (France)
 

A PC 12 apparently crashed yesterday in the community of Solemont, France, killing all 4 on board. First reports say the aircraft came down in a thunderstorm and disappeared from radar after an emergency call by the crew at around 1600 UTC yesterday. It was found 40 minutes later by local police.

News Article, French

According to radar pictures, at the time of the accident a line of thunderstorms were present on the west side of the Jura.

Another tragic PC12 crash, another 4 people killed and both around CB activity!
Witnesses stated there was lightning. The aircraft should take a strike ?
Very sad for all involved.

Pace

Pace,

yes, I was exactly thinking the same thing. The ressemblance to the Florida crash are quite striking. If he got struck by lightening, I wonder what that would do, but I am wary of those withness statements. For one, if they saw him hit, that would have had to be already below the cloud base, shortly before impact, but say preciously little about how he got there.

In another forum, there is a picture posted of a french radar at the time of the crash, and he would have been directly over or in one large cell.

http://www.meteo60.fr/archives/image...0824-18h00.png

Accident site is southwest of Mulhouse and almost staight west of Basel in the area of that big blob of radar activity. That btw also corresponds with what the reports by the mayor say, that it was raining hard at the time.

Hello, do you know where this plane was registered?
Respect for all involved.

Hi,

according to some news outlets it originated from Switzerland, at least the people on board are from there... No infos on the registration, yet.

Kind regards,
Peter

Edit: 4 people from Switzerland, pilot (57), 2 male PAX (36, 51) and 1 female PAX (20)

Air Sarina aircraft - statement here, (in German).

Absturz Pilatus PC12

the real enemy inside a CB is hard and sudden icing and severe turbulence with down and updrafts , not lightning.

All sizes | ZZ) Untitled PC-12 HB-FVZ GRO 19/05/2007 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Unconfirmed as HB-FVZ of Happy Lines

Sounds more like HB-FPZ

Does anyone know if there's anywhere online that shows aircraft movements with registration at LFTZ?

It has just clicked for me too that this might be the Saanen based Air Sarina PC12. The pilot (if it was he) was an experienced GA pilot, with family at Saanen.

Sadly, Trim Stab, you are right. The pilot was a friend and colleague, whose advice about operating in and around Saanen many of us valued, and whose friendly and helpful manner was appreciated by all.
My heart goes out to his family and colleagues, who have already witnessed more than their share of aviation tragedy.:(

Mein tief empfundenes Beileid an die Familie und Freunde aller Insassen an diesem traurigen Tag.

FlyMD

VFR into IMC?
 

Any information if the flight was under IFR?
Thanks,

This picture was taken moments before they took off from Antwerp Airport. They took off a few minutes after I landed.

HB-FPZ | At EBAW Aug 24th 2012!

This local report is suggesting low level VFR.

Ian

He would probably have had a Y plan into Saanen.

Normally flying into Saanen from that direction you stay IFR until the eastern end of Lac Leman at about FL70. Obviously you need to be VMC at that point in order to go VFR. Possibly he guessed that he would not be VMC at that point, so took an earlier opportunity to go VFR with the intention of then scud-running along Leman and then trying to get through one of the valley passes into Saanen.

I guess that if it was a charter, it had to be VFR all the way anyway (Single engine commercial with pax according EU OPS).

EU OPS only stipulates no single-engine IMC or night. There is nothing to stop operators flyiing single engine day IFR in VMC.

However, remember also EU OPS regulations are only a recommendation to member states. Member states are free to opt out of some of the regulations and several have in order to allow specifically PC12 operations. Given that PC12 is manufactured in Switzerland, I suspect that Switzerland is one of the countries that allows PC12 operations.

Switzerland doesn't deviate from EU OPS recommendations as far as single-engine turboprop operations are concerned.

See the demise of Helvetic Wings.