Accident to the Jodel D140 registered F-BMFV on 28/02/2025 on the Vallée Blanche glacier

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During a mountain flight, the pilot entered the valley leading to the Col du Midi pass at an altitude that would not allow him to cross the pass on a direct flight path, with a sufficient safety margin, given the climb performance of the aeroplane. As the terrain steepened, the pilot progressively increased the aeroplane's pitch attitude which led to a decrease in the indicated airspeed and climb performance, characteristic of flight on the backside of the power curve. The pilot probably mistook the effects of flight on the backside of the power curve for a progressive and then total decrease in engine power due to a malfunction. He then rejected the flight and carried out an emergency landing on the glacier. The speed of the aeroplane continued to decrease until reaching a speed close to the stall speed. The vertical speed then dropped and the aeroplane descended around 70 m in approximately ten seconds before colliding with the surface of the glacier with a low horizontal speed. The presence of fresh, abundant snow probably significantly dampened the impact with the ground and contributed to the survivability of the accident.

BEA is the French air safety investigation authority for civil aviation. The sole objective of the investigation is to improve air safety. It is intended neither to apportion blame nor to assess responsiblity.