Piper Aircraft Corporation PIPER PA-34-200T accident near Cerrione, It, September 9, 2017
On September 9, 2017 at about 9:00 am local time, a 1976 Piper Aircraft Corporation PIPER PA-34-200T, registered GSTZA, was destroyed in an accident during approach near Cerrione (Biella-Cerrione airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2017 · about 9:00 am local time
- Place
- Cerrione, Italy · Biella-Cerrione · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft Corporation PIPER PA-34-200T NO SERIES, built 1976
- Registration
- GSTZA · no longer on the register · serial 34-7670196
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach defining event
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 4,407 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: Piovera
- Destination: LILE Cerrione
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; a few clouds at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Observation at 8:50 am
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.