Accident to the Piper PA46 registered F-HYGA on 06/08/2021 at Courchevel

The pilot, accompanied by two passengers, made a flight to Courchevel in order to renew his authorization to access the mountain airfield, which was about to expire. The pilot felt more confident about carrying out the flight with a passenger who was also an experienced pilot and instructor, seated in the right front seat. However, the latter had no landing experience in mountainous environments. During the approach, the pilot started the descent on the base leg and made the last turn at an altitude of approximately 6,600 ft, i.e. 400 ft below the altitude specified on the VAC chart. On final, the aeroplane quickly reached the runway threshold altitude (6,371 ft). The pilot then levelled off at this altitude for approximately 40 s, without increasing the power. The aeroplane’s speed gradually decreased until the stall warning sounded on short final. The engine power was increased and then completely reduced before the flare. The aeroplane collided with the bank below the runway threshold.