Three people were killed when a small plane crashed into a mountainside near one of Switzerland’s best-known Alpine resort towns, triggering a major emergency response involving helicopters, firefighters and mountain rescue crews.
The single-engine Cirrus SR22T went down shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, in the Fluhalp area near Leukerbad in Switzerland’s Valais canton, according to Valais Cantonal Police.
The aircraft had originally departed from Lugano in southern Switzerland before making a stop at Sion Airport. It later took off again headed toward Buochs airfield in the canton of Nidwalden.
For reasons that remain unknown, the plane struck a north-facing mountain slope near Leukerbad.
People in the area then reported seeing a large amount of smoke coming from the crash site, prompting authorities to rush emergency teams into the rugged terrain.
Three rescue helicopters and two rescue specialists were dispatched to the scene, along with local firefighters and crews from Sion Airport.
But when rescuers reached the wreckage, all three people aboard the aircraft were dead.
Two of the victims were British nationals, the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office later confirmed.
“We are providing support to the families of two British nationals who died in Switzerland and are in contact with the local authorities,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said.
One of the victims has since been identified as 55-year-old Welsh businessman Owain Davies, managing director of engineering firm Amcanu in Burry Port, Wales.
The company announced Davies’ death with “the heaviest of hearts,” remembering him as a devoted husband, father and grandfather as well as a respected business leader.
Amcanu described Davies as determined, spirited and deeply caring, saying he had a habit of confronting difficult problems by immediately figuring out what could be done.
Davies was also passionate about aviation and was an experienced pilot who enjoyed flying helicopters when he had the opportunity, according to the company.
The identities of the other two victims had not been publicly released as of the latest official updates.
The location of the crash adds another striking element to the tragedy.
Leukerbad is one of Switzerland’s most popular mountain destinations and is known for its thermal spas, skiing, hiking, climbing and mountain biking. The resort bills itself as the largest Alpine thermal spa destination in the Alps.
Investigators are now trying to determine exactly why the plane hit the mountainside.
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board has opened an aviation safety investigation, while Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General is conducting a separate criminal investigation in cooperation with Valais police.
The two investigations are being conducted in parallel.
Swiss authorities have not blamed the crash on weather conditions, mechanical trouble, pilot actions or any other specific factor.
Until investigators examine the wreckage, flight information and other evidence, the cause remains officially unknown.
The crash marks another deadly aviation accident in Switzerland. Swissinfo reported that there had been nine other aviation accidents involving at least three deaths in the country during the previous decade, not including the Leukerbad tragedy.
For now, the investigation remains focused on reconstructing the aircraft’s final minutes and determining why an ordinary flight across Switzerland ended in disaster high in the Alps.
