Light Aircraft Crashes into Chalet Near Meribel
21st January 2025
The plane came down in the French resort after an incident in the air with paraponters. Two people in the plane died after it hit a chalet. UPDATED
The accident happened on Tuesday at around 5pm.
Reports say the plane, a Piper PS-18 a Super Cub, was involved in an incident with two paraponters in a 2-seater craft and it then hit the roof of a chalet in Méribel-les-Allues.
The two people in the plane, aged 58 and 26, died in the accident, said the Savoie prefecture.
“A single-engine plane, with two occupants on board, ended up on the roof of a chalet in Méribel,” said Albertville public prosecutor.
“Before crashing, the plane apparently caught two paragliders in flight.”
The Savoie firefighters said that “the two paragliders were shocked but unhurt”.
It is understood they deployed their emergency parachutes and landed in trees, but survived.
The chalet was unoccupied at the time of the accident.
The exact cause of the crash is not known and an investigation is underway.
The incident was witnessed by some in Meribel enjoying an apres ski drink and they alerted the rescue services.
35 firefighters were deployed and the rescue was made more difficult due the structure of the chalet roof.
There has been reaction on social media.
A psychological response unit has been set up in Meribel for those locals affected by the incident.
Initial reports had suggested the people in the plane were injured, but survived.
We will bring you further news on PlanetSKI as we receive it.
