Thursday 4th April 2013 a single engined JODEL D140 light aircraft made an emergency landing on the Mer de Glace, part of the off-piste ski itenerary of the Valley Blanche.
The flight was an Aerocime excursion out of the Megeve Altiport, with one passenger, taking an aerial tour of the Mont-Blanc massif.
The aircraft is equipped with skis on fixed landing gear, so when the engine began to fail, the pilot elected to land on the Mer de Glace; no easy task! The landing was successful, with no damamge to the aircraft or injury to the occupants. However, a quick repair to the engine and a subsequent take off was not possible.
The Chamonix PGHM Mountain Rescue flew a helicopter to the Mer De Glace and returned to the Chamonix DZ with the pilot and passenger.
The engine will be repaired in the next few days, weather permitting. In the meantime, the surreal sight of a JODEL D140 light aircraft remains parked on the Mer de Glace.
Video of a Mont Blanc panoramic flight
