Raytheon Beech King Air 300LW, Zernez, Switzerland, Feb. 14, 2002–The pilot and copilot of King Air D-ICBC, the sole occupants of the aircraft, were killed and the aircraft was destroyed when it crashed into the Sarsura Glacier in Zernez. The crash occurred at 1600 Zulu while on approach to the Sameden (Switzerland) Airport (LSZS).
According to the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of the Swiss Government, the airplane was on an IFR flight from Poznan, Poland, to Sameden. However, there is no instrument approach procedure available at LSZS, where low clouds were reported in the area at the time of the accident. An AAIB investigator reported that the pilot canceled his IFR flight plan and initiated a visual approach to the airport.
The airplane subsequently crashed on the glacier at about 9,842-ft elevation in mountainous terrain. Weather reported at Resia Pass, Italy, 22 mi northeast of the accident site, was 2,000 ft overcast, with half-mile visibility in fog. An investigation is in progress.