Biferten air accident

The Biferten air accident occurred on 24 July 1966 in the Glarus Alps.

Sequence of events

On the occasion of the rebuilding of the Swiss Alpine Club's high-alpine Planura Hut, members of the Näfels rescue team were doing voluntary work. The mountain pilot Rolf Fumasoli offered to carry out transport flights with a Piper PA-18 of the Swiss Air-Rescue from Mollis to the Hüfi Glacier near the hut.

The aircraft HB-OLB with two passengers took off from Mollis at 14:15 and was smashed against a rock face between the Bifertenstock and the Tödi at 3200 m altitude. After subsequently sliding down the steep face, the wreck came to rest around 600 metres of elevation lower on the Biferten firn below, and was covered with snow by an avalanche triggered by this fall. All three occupants of the aircraft were killed.

After two days of searching under difficult weather conditions in a search area extending over 3000 km2, the wreck was located by an army helicopter of the Alouette III type at this spot, which did not correspond to the direct route. Only a sleeve of a red jacket had been visible instead of an entire wreck. The Piper pilot had, however, already flown this route on the first flight of the day of the accident because of the weather.

The presence of a second passenger in the accident aircraft was not permitted. Whether this fact contributed to the accident is not known. A downdraught, as is usual at a mountain ridge in windy conditions, was mentioned as a possible cause.