UK AIRPORT OWNER ANTHONY HALL KILLED IN SWISS ALPS PLANE CRASH AS FAMILY PAYS TRIBUTE TO “INCREDIBLE DAD”

A British airport owner and businessman has been identified as one of three people killed when a small plane crashed into a mountain in the Swiss Alps.

Anthony “Tony” Hall, 42, died on September 15 when a Cirrus SR22T aircraft crashed into a northern mountain slope near the resort town of Leukerbad in the Swiss canton of Valais.

His family has described him as a “truly wonderful husband” and an “incredible dad”, saying they are completely heartbroken by his sudden death.

TONY HALL WAS A BUSINESSMAN AND AIRPORT OWNER

Hall was the owner of Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport in Staffordshire, which he bought in 2023.

He was also managing director of construction and recycling company Pegasus, based in the West Midlands.

His family said that although Tony achieved significant success in business, his family remained at the center of his life.

“He was first and foremost a loving husband and an incredible dad to his daughter,” his family said in a statement.

They remembered him as kind, caring, generous and determined, adding that he would be missed enormously.

PLANE CRASHED MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THE AIRPORT

The aircraft had been travelling through Switzerland after taking off from Lugano and stopping at Sion Airport.

It later departed Sion toward Buochs Airfield in the canton of Nidwalden.

At around 4 p.m. on September 15, the aircraft crashed into the northern slope of a mountain in the Fluhalp area near Leukerbad.

Witnesses reported seeing significant smoke rising from the mountainside.

Emergency crews, including police, firefighters and rescue teams, were dispatched to the scene with three helicopters.

All three people aboard the aircraft were found dead.

The reason the aircraft crashed has not yet been established.

ANOTHER BRITON WAS AMONG THE VICTIMS

The other British victim was identified as Owain Davies, 55, a businessman from west Wales and managing director of engineering company Amcanu.

Davies was a father and grandfather and was remembered by his company as a strong-willed, determined and deeply caring man.

His son Aron described him as a lifelong mentor and said his family had suffered an “unimaginable loss.”

The identity of the third person aboard the aircraft has not been publicly established in the reports reviewed.

“HE WILL ALWAYS BE A LEGEND”

Tributes have also poured in for Tony Hall from people who knew him through his business and community work.

Former Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb, who described Hall as a friend, said he was “one of the very best.”

She praised what he achieved with Pegasus and remembered him as someone who brought humor and energy to those around him.

She also highlighted his support for community causes, including the Poppy Appeal and Military Vehicle Parade.

“Tony will always be a legend to me,” she said.

Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport also paid tribute to its owner.

The airport said Hall had poured his “time, energy and passion” into developing the site and, together with his co-owner, had helped transform it into a thriving aviation hub.

His vision had been to make it one of the leading general aviation airports in the country.

INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH CONTINUES

The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

A criminal investigation has also been opened by Swiss authorities.

The UK Foreign Office confirmed that it was supporting the families of the two British nationals who died and was in contact with local authorities.

For Tony Hall’s family, however, the investigation cannot change the devastating loss.

They said their hearts go out to the families of everyone who died in the crash, while remembering Tony above all as a husband, father and much-loved man.

His legacy will now live on through the family he cherished, the businesses he helped build and the airport into which he poured so much of his time and passion.