Italian Air Force Pilot Ejects Seconds Before Fatal Crash at Turin-Caselle Airport
An Italian Air Force pilot from the Tricolor Arrows acrobatic team managed to eject from his aircraft just moments before a deadly crash during takeoff at the Turin-Caselle Airport in northwest Italy. The incident, which was captured on video and posted on YouTube, showed one of the team’s Aermacchi MB-339PAN jets breaking away from its formation while struggling to gain altitude. The pilot ejected just before the aircraft crashed.
Tragically, the flaming wreckage veered off the airport perimeter and collided with a car, resulting in the death of a 5-year-old girl. Additionally, her three surviving family members were rushed to the hospital with burns, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.
ANSA further reported that the ill-fated plane had experienced an engine problem during takeoff, leading to the crash. The Tricolor Arrows were en route to perform at the Vercelli Airshow scheduled for Saturday.
In response to the incident, the Turin prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the crash. The Tricolor Arrows have been flying the MB-339PAN since 1982, having previously operated with the Fiat G.91 PAN.
It is important to note that this is not the first tragedy involving the Italian acrobatic team. In 1988, during the Ramstein airshow, a mid-air collision at low altitude resulted in the deaths of three team members and 67 spectators.
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