With headlines like “Plane crashes on Morzine slopes” we couldn’t help but put the record straight!

It’s no secret that Avoriaz has it’s own light aircraft landing strip and it’s a regular sight to see both light aircraft and helicopters taking off and landing near the popular resort. However this week the local press went over the top with their “shocking” headlines about a plane crashing in Morzine!
A more accurate headline would have been: “Small plane makes emergency landing on Avoriaz ski slope. A women breaks her finger.”

Here’s the full story…

The light aircraft was trying to take off from an airfield at Avoriaz but was unable to get airborne. A female skier was broke her finger and an investigation is underway.

A 55-year old Polish woman was injured in the accident on Thursday morning.

The single engine aircraft, which had two people on board, had to abort its take off and landed on a blue ski run.

The pilot managed to steer clear of trees and avoid cables of chairlifts and miss a group of children.

The plane touched down on the run where the Polish woman was skiing but the pilot was unable to avoid her.

Her hand was injured.

The 55-year-old woman was hit by the plane’s propeller as it was slowing and suffered a “near amputation of her finger”, according to emergency services.

Another spokesman for the emergency services commented, “We only narrowly avoided a catastrophe.”

She was immediately attended by a resort doctor before being taken to hospital by helicopter and treated for shock.

Local Public prosecutor Patrick Steinmetz told the AFP newsagency, “The plane suddenly appeared behind her and there was virtually no sound. She didn’t hear it.”

The plane was cordoned off by safety nets and was removed from the ski area on Thursday evening.