Plane Crashes Into Tourist at Ski Resort in France
Single-propeller plane failed to take off properly and careened down slope.
— -- A small aircraft crashed into a skier on a French slope on Thursday, seriously injuring her right arm, a local prosecutor told ABC News.
“The plane slid down the slopes after failing to take off from a snowy runway nearby,” said Patrick Steinmetz, the prosecutor in charge of investigating the incident.
The accident happened in the busy resort of Avoriaz in the French Alps.
A 55-year-old woman from Poland “probably did not hear the plane sliding down behind her,” Steinmetz said.
She was attended by emergency doctors before being taken to hospital by helicopter.
While the pilot was a professional used to taking off and flying in tricky weather conditions, an investigation has been opened to determine if he is responsible for causing non-voluntary harm.
The accident prompted the closure of the ski track until the end of May, though the resort remains open.