Date:	Thursday 10 November 2011
Time:	14:15 LT
Type:	Piper PA-31-310 Navajo B
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	HB-LOT
MSN:	31-7400981
Year of manufacture:	1974
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Cottens, near Ecuvillens, Fribourg -   Switzerland
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Ecuvillens Airport, Geneva (LSGE)
Destination airport:	Geneva-Cointrin International Airport (LSGG)
Investigating agency:	BFU Switz.
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Forty seconds after its take off from Ecuvillens Airport runway 28, while flying at a speed of 120 knots, aircraft slightly turned to the right without gaining sufficient altitude. Then, its altitude fluctuated and it descended and climbed again. Suddenly, aircraft hit tree tops, lost some wing and empennage elements, while the engine cowlings were sheared off. Fuel tanks were spoiled and the aircraft caught fire. It overflew the wooded area for 120 meters and hit power cables before crashing in flames in an open field located 275 meters after the initial impact. The pilot, the sole person on board, was killed.

Cause: The accident was caused by a collision with trees due to an inadequate flight path after takeoff in weather conditions that not allow a VFR flight. An irregular and intermittent operation of an engine probably focused the attention of the pilot to the engine to the detriment of the flight path.

1. https://bazonline.ch/panorama/vermischtes/Piper-fliegt-in-Stromleitung--Pilot-tot/story/28939523
2. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/2011/archives/crash-of-a-piper-pa-31-navajo-chieftain-in-ecuvillens-1-killed/]
3. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1121480
4. https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6554418
5. http://tagazous.free.fr/affichage2.php?img=24648
6. http://www.flightforum.ch/board/index.php?/topic/82701-101111-hb-lot-piper-pa-31-cottens-fr-absturz-n-kollision-mit-leitung/
7. https://www.nzz.ch/ein_toter_bei_flugzeugabsturz_im_kanton_freiburg-1.13280987
8. Photo of accident: http://www.tsr.ch/2011/11/10/16/01/3576908.image?w=480&h=270
9. Official accident report (French text): https://www.sust.admin.ch/inhalte/AV-berichte/2176.pdf

HB-LOT Piper Pa-31-310B private at GVA, 6 August 2002 (Photo: H.Ranter/ASN)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Nov-2011 01:12	Steinmann	Added
11-Nov-2011 01:34	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
28-Sep-2014 13:59	harro	Updated [Narrative]
28-Sep-2014 13:59	harro	Updated [Photo, ]
21-Oct-2017 20:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]