Air France pilot falls to his death attempting to hike Mount Whitney in the U.S. on a layover

Air France has confirmed via an internal notice that the remains of its pilot, Tom Gerbier, have been found. Gerbier tragically lost his life while on a layover in the United States, attempting to climb Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental United States.

First Officer Gerbier operated the Air France Boeing 777 on flight AF066, and arrived at Los Angeles Airport on Monday at around 13:00 (local time). Instead of checking into his crew hotel, he embarked on a 4.5-hour drive from Los Angeles to Mount Whitney, where he intended to rest for the night and commence his climb the following morning.

Sadly, according to the local Sheriff’s department, Gerbier never returned from his day hike, and he was reported missing after failing to show up for his return flight.

Consequently, Air France was compelled to cancel its Los Angeles to Paris flight (AF77) on Wednesday night.

Local media reports indicate that Gerbier’s body was discovered by a search and rescue helicopter. It appeared that he had slipped and fallen about 1,000 feet (304 metres) to his tragic demise. His body was recovered on Thursday evening via helicopter and transferred to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, who subsequently confirmed his identity.