Italy arrests French survivor of deadly air crash

Italy has arrested a French flight instructor who survived a deadly mid-air collision that claimed seven lives in the northern Valle d'Aosta region near the French border, local media reported Saturday.

Friday's crash above the Rutor glacier involving a French ultralight plane carrying three people and a German helicopter with six passengers on board claimed a total of seven lives. Five bodies were recovered on Friday and another two were recovered Saturday, regional and rescue authorities said on Twitter.

Italian prosecutors has accused Philippe Michel, 63, of aggravated negligent disaster and multiple negligent manslaughter in the deadly incident. The Frenchman said the plane had initiated the landing procedure when the helicopter appeared, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The other survivor is a German man in his early 30s, according to ANSA.

In a video posted on Twitter, Val d'Aosta rescue services explained that the remains of the helicopter were spread over a 400 square metre area and that the bodies were found about 50 metres away from the wreckage, indicating that a mid-air collision occurred "a few dozen meters above ground".

One person survived from each aircraft, Alpine Rescue director Paolo Comune and Emergency Services director Luca Cavoretto said in the video. They suffered multiple traumas and contusions, are hospitalized in stable condition, they said.

Prosecutors say the French plane was on a training flight and was about to land on the glacier when it collided with the helicopter, which was carrying five heli-skiers, ANSA reported.

Heli-skiiing involved being taken by helicopter to ski in otherwise inaccessible areas, then being picked up and flown back down the mountain.

The victims from the French plane are one Belgian and one Frenchman, both aged in their 50s. The deceased from the helicopter include the Italian pilot and a German mountain guide, plus one Belgian, one French and three German skiers, according to ANSA.