PA-28 Arrow Reportedly Caught Fire In Flight, Went Down In The Swiss Alps

An award-winning British music producer, his musician wife and their baby daughter were all fatally injured Sunday when the Piper PA-28 Arrow they were flying reportedly caught fire in flight and went down in the Swiss Alps.

Fox News reports that the plane had been in flight for about an hour when it apparently caught fire above Simplon Pass, a route through the Alps that connects Switzerland and northern Italy. The couple had left London Saturday morning, and made stops in Troyes, France and Lausanne, Switzerland, according to local media reports.

A statement from police read: "The small plane type 'Piper' took off around 9 a.m. from a Vaudois airfield for Italy... For currently unclear reasons, the plane crashed around 10.25 a.m. on the Simplon Pass above the hospice and went up in flames."

A hiker in the area told authorities that he saw two burning objects falling from the sky before he heard two loud bangs.

The Swiss Federal Safety Investigation Authority has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.

(Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: Source report