Rome

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Rome - Parma

MSN:

013

YOM:

1981

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on an ILS approach to Parma Airport in poor weather conditions, the aircraft struck the ground and crashed in an open field about 3,5 km short of runway. All eight occupants were rescued, among them one pilot was injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The visibility was limited to 800 metres due to foggy conditions.

Crash of a Piaggio PD-808TP in Venice: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1993

Type of aircraft:

Piaggio PD-808

Operator:

Registration:

MM61953

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Rockwell Grand Commander 690

Schedule:

Treviso - Rome

MSN:

511

YOM:

1972

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After takeoff from Treviso-Istrana Airbase, the crew informed ATC about technical problems and was cleared to divert to Venice-Tessera Airport for an emergency landing. On final, the aircraft went out of control and crashed few hundred metres short of runway. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Rockwell Grand Commander 690 in Greenville: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1984 at 0738 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Integrated Products

Registration:

N81717

Flight Phase:

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Donaldson AFB-Donaldson Center Airport (Greenville)

Schedule:

Rome - Greenville

MSN:

690-11445

YOM:

1978

Location:

South Carolina

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

13834

Captain / Total hours on type:

1126.00

Aircraft flight hours:

11540

Circumstances:

As the pilot was making an ILS approach in IMC weather, the aircraft descended into trees and crashed about 1-1/2 mi from the runway threshold. The decision height for this approach was 1,316 feet msl and was located less than a mile from the threshold. A controller said that the last altitude readout he remembers for the aircraft was 1,200 feet at about 2 miles from threshold. When the radar target disappeared from the display, the controller asked for a position report, but received no reply. The 0740 est weather at Greenville, SC, was in part: sky condition zero obscured, visibility zero with fog, wind calm. The elevation of the crash site was 980 feet msl. All four occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Occurrence #1: in flight collision with object
Phase of operation: approach - faf/outer marker to threshold (IFR)
Findings
1. (c) IFR procedure - improper - pilot in command
2. (f) weather condition - low ceiling
3. (f) weather condition - fog
4. (f) weather condition - below approach/landing minimums
5. (c) decision height - misjudged - pilot in command
6. (c) missed approach - delayed - pilot in command
7. (f) object - tree(s)

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo near Chatsworth: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Piper PA-31-310 Navajo

Operator:

Topps Factory Outlet of Nashville

Registration:

N11HW

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Knoxville - Rome

MSN:

31-362

YOM:

1968

Location:

Chatsworth

Georgia

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2000

Circumstances:

En route from Knosville to Rome, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity, clouds and heavy rain falls. While flying in clouds at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the airplane struck tree tops and crashed on the slope of a mountain. The wreckage was found five days later and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Probable cause:

The pilot continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Inadequate preflight preparation,
- High obstructions,
- Rain,
- Thunderstorm activity with heavy rain falls,
- Mountain peaks shrouded in clouds,
- Aircraft hit the mountain at about 4,000 feet.

Final Report:

Crash of a Fokker F27 Friendship 200 near Frosinone: 18 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1972 at 2210 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fokker F27 Friendship

Operator:

Registration:

I-ATIP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Rome - Foggia

MSN:

10251

YOM:

1964

Flight number:

BM392

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

20461

Aircraft flight cycles:

26490

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 15,000 feet in marginal weather conditions on a flight from Rome to Foggia, the airplane lost 1,200 feet while its speed dropped 30 knots. It nosed down to 20° then crashed at a speed of 340 knots in an open field located near Frosinone, about 75 km southeast of Rome. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and all 18 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was flying in a thunderstorm area.
Crew:
Paolo Lombardino, pilot,
Vittorio Pedemonte, copilot,
Clemente Basile, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, based on the flight recorder analysis, it is believed that the loss of control was caused by severe atmospheric turbulences associated with thunderstorm activity.

Crash of a Canadair C-4M Argonaut in Tripoli: 15 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1955 at 0023 LT

Type of aircraft:

Canadair C-4 North Star

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALHL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

London – Rome – Tripoli – Kano – Lagos

MSN:

158

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Tripoli Airport by night and poor weather conditions, the crew was unable to locate the runway and decided to make a go around. Three times, the captain decided to abandon the approach procedure for a go around maneuver. During a fourth attempt, he descended below the glide when the aircraft hit trees and crashed 1,200 yards short of runway 11. Two crew members and 13 passengers were killed and the aircraft was destroyed. All other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

The accident was the result of an error of judgement on the part of the captain who having made three unsuccessful attempts to line-up and land on runway 11 on his fourth attempt allowed his desire to keep the runway lights in view to affect his judgement, in that during a visual approach to the runway he failed to make adequate reference to his flight instruments. In the restricted visibility the runway lights gave him insufficient guidance as to attitude, height and angle of approach and unknowingly he permitted the aircraft to descend below its correct approach path.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-6 on Mt Costone dell'Acquasanta: 29 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1955 at 1953 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-6

Operator:

Registration:

OO-SDB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Mt Costone dell'Acquasanta

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Brussels – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Elisabethville

MSN:

43063

YOM:

1947

Flight number:

SN503

Location:

Lazio

Country:

Italy

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed the Brussels-Haren Airport for Rome at 1717LT on an IFR flight plan. According to radio communications between the aircraft and the area controls at Zurich, Milan and Rome the flight appears to have been normal. The aircraft was in touch with Rome area control at 1929LT and the last message from it was received at 1953LT. At about 1950LT the aircraft after overflying the village of Leonessa and continued on a heading of 163° until it hit the slope of the Mt Costone dell'Acquasanta at an altitude of 1,700 meters after breaking off the tops of trees in a wood in line with the point of impact, near the end of its course. The wreckage was found one week later only and all 29 occupants have been killed, among them the Italian actress Marcella Mariani.

Probable cause:

The probable cause of the accident was that the navigation was conducted without making use of all such radio aids as would have permitted checking, and consequently correcting the drift of the aircraft, whereas the crew actually remained unaware of the drift. In fact, instead of making sure they were over the Viterbo beacon, they merely held that conviction, and therefore the approach procedure to the Rome terminal area (which prescribes overflight of the Viterbo beacon) was erroneously applied. The following contributing causes may be taken into consideration:
- crosswind to the route stronger than forecast,
- weather conditions particularly unfavorable to radio reception in MF,
- None of the messages from the aircraft gave the impression that the crew were in any doubt as to their position,
- The gradual uncontrolled eastward drift may be assumed to have started along the Alpine route, in view of the atmospheric conditions then prevailing, and particularly because of the jet stream previously mentioned,
- The message "passed Viterbo beacon one minute ago" sent by the aircraft at 1951LT was certainly an error, actually, the aircraft struck the surface at 1853 at a point more than 60 km east of Viterbo on a heading of 163°.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 off San Lucido: 21 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1954 at 2004 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.106 Comet

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALYY

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

London – Rome – Cairo – Addis Ababa – Nairobi – Johannesburg

MSN:

6011

YOM:

1952

Flight number:

SA201

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10971

Captain / Total hours on type:

86.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1694

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

2704

Circumstances:

Owned by BOAC, the aircraft was operated by South African Airways with a SAA crew under flight SA201. It left Rome-Ciampino Airport at 1932LT (25 minutes delay due to a technical problem) with an ETA at Cairo Airport at 2220LT. While cruising at an estimated altitude of 35,000 feet off the Italian coast, the aircraft disappeared from radar screens at 2004LT and crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 17 km off San Lucido. SAR operations were quickly dispatched but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 21 occupants was found.

Probable cause:

Owing to the absence of wreckage, we are unable to form a definite opinion on the cause of the accident near Naples, but we draw attention to the fact that the explanation offered for the accident at Elba appears to be applicable to that at Naples.

Final Report:

Crash of a Breda-Zappata B.Z.308 in Mogadishu

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Breda-Zappata B.Z.308

Operator:

Registration:

MM61802

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site: