A small plane landed then dangerously took off in middle of the ISMF Long Distance World Championship.
On April 26, 2025, Michele Boscacci and Robert Antonioli won the 24th edition of the Mezzalama Trophy in 4 hours, 29 minutes, and 19 seconds, while in the women’s race, French athletes Axelle Mollaret Gachet and Emily Harrop dominated in 5 hours, 23 minutes, and 25 seconds.
The historic ski mountaineering race took place from Breuil-Cervinia to Gressoney-La-Trinité in ideal weather conditions, with more than 700 athletes at the start and large crowds lining the course.
Shortly before noon, on Colle Sesia, at an altitude of 4,230 metres, a small tourist plane landed on the line next to the racers. The plane descended, then passed through the crowd before taking off again.
The Piper Pa18 (registration HB-OKB) belongs to a Swiss flying club. It then took off and landed in the Geneva region around 4 p.m. The footage shows how the incident could have endangered public safety.