Close call: privately owned plane skims past group of skiers on Italian glacier

A reckless manoeuvre this weekend on a glacier in Italy, where a group of ski mountaineers came dangerously close to being struck by a low-flying aircraft. Witnesses are calling the incident “pure madness” and “a criminal act,” saying it could have easily turned into a tragedy.

The footage, captured by skier Luca Calzone (56), shows the dramatic moment on Monte Rosa, around 4,000 metres high on the Swiss-Italian border. The incident occurred during a glacier marathon between Breuil-Cervinia and Gressoney, an event that drew a large number of skiers to the mountain.

The group, moving in a line across the glacier, was suddenly startled by the appearance of a small plane. “At first, I thought the aircraft was in trouble or trying to make an emergency landing,” Calzone explains to the Italian local press. “But what happened next was pure madness.“

The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub, registered HB-OKB, and operated by a Swiss aero club. According to witnesses, the plane briefly landed on the glacier, made a sharp turn, and then accelerated directly towards the skiers, crossing their path at dangerously close range—only a few metres away from some of them.

“It’s impossible that the pilot didn’t see the long line of skiers,” said Calzone. “Visibility was perfect, and there were hundreds of people clearly visible on the snow. This could have ended in a bloodbath.” He described the landing in such a crowded area as “completely reckless.”

Later that day, the aircraft reportedly landed safely near Geneva. Luca Calzone provided his video footage to Swiss and Italian authorities, who have opened an official investigation into the incident.

You can watch the footage and a detailed analysis of the event by Juan Browne from the YouTube channel blancolirio below: