Swiss investigators: Boy, 14, at controls of crashed plane

BERLIN – Swiss investigators say a 14-year-old was at the controls of a small plane that crashed in the Alps in 2017, killing him and two other people.

The Piper PA-28 aircraft crashed in southeastern Switzerland in August 2017. The plane’s pilot and another 14-year-old boy were also killed, and a 17-year-old girl was seriously injured.

The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board said in a report Friday the pilot had chosen a risky flight course. In addition, it said that “the pilot’s risky decision to hand the controls to the passenger (was) a direct contributing factor to the accident.” It added that he hadn’t trained as a flight instructor.

The flight was part of a flying club’s annual summer camp for teenagers. The report said the club didn’t intend passengers to take the controls.