ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 302062
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| Date: | Wednesday 24 June 2020 |
| Time: | 10:56 |
| Type: |  Robin DR.400/140B Major |
| Owner/operator: | Groupe de Vol à Moteur Sion |
| Registration: | HB-KFQ |
| MSN: | 2508 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Innertkirchen -
 Switzerland
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Sion Airport (SIR/LSGS) |
| Thun Airfield (LSZW) | |
| Investigating agency: | STSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
At approximately 10:15, the pilot of the single-engine Robin DR.400 aircraft (HB-KFQ), took off from the Sion airfield and entered the Haslital valley via the Grimsel Pass. From there, he wanted to cross the TMA and the Control Zone (CTR) of the Meiringen military airfield in the direction of his destination airfield Thun. He attempted to obtain the necessary permission to do so on the radiotelephony frequency which belongs to the restricted area LS-R6. He was then informed that he should contact the control tower of Meiringen for this purpose.
At 10:56:06, the pilot, who was navigating using an aeronautical chart, contacted the control tower and requested permission to fly through with the wording "approaching Guttannen at 7600 ft, request crossing the CTR via north of the valley". At this time, the HB-KFQ was already north of Guttannen in the Innertkirchen region and within the TMA.
The air traffic controller, for whom the entry of the powered aircraft into the TMA was not recognizable, instructed the pilot to wait with the crossing and to circle over Guttannen ("hold over Guttannen, I call you back for crossing"). This was because shortly before, fighter aircraft of the type F/A-18 had taken off from runway 10 of the Meiringen military airfield and were flying through the TMA in the direction of the Susten Pass. Virtually simultaneously, at 10:56:30, one of these fighter aircraft came dangerously close to HB-KFQ.
The pilot of the fighter in question spotted the HB-KFQ about 5 seconds before the closest approach at about 7000 ft AMSL and initiated a downward evasive maneuver. At the same time, he radioed a warning to the fighter aircraft following him. He estimated his closest distance to the HB-KFQ to be 50 m.
The pilot of HB-KFQ did not perceive the dangerous approach and the evasive maneuver of the fighter. However, he heard the takeoff of other fighters over the radio and saw fighters turning left after takeoff. He did not interpret this as an evasive maneuver, but as part of their normal departure route.
He did not judge the distance to the fighters to be unusually close. After sighting the fighters, he immediately turned around and flew back towards Guttannen.
At Guttannen, the pilot of HB-KFQ contacted the air traffic controller again for the first time and again requested permission to fly through the CTR, whereupon the air traffic controller requested him to continue the holding pattern over Guttannen ("I say again, remain over Guttannen, I call you back"). Approximately two minutes later, the pilot received the requested clearance, whereupon he continued his flight as planned and landed at Thun airfield.
Accident investigation:
 |
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Sources:
STSB
Revision history:
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