Italy: Two Air Force Aircraft Collide Mid-Air, Both Pilots Killed

After the accident of the Italian Air Force's U-208, a lightweight, single-prop aircraft, messages of condolences, including from Italy`s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, started pouring.

Image Source- Twitter

Italian Air Force aircraft got into a mid-air collision close to the capital of Italy, After the accident, the pilots of the aircraft were reported to be dead in the incident. Government and military representatives from the nation have acknowledged the collision occurred on Tuesday. According to media sources, the Air Force and the prosecutor's office in the adjacent town of Tivoli will both launch investigations into the collision's causes.

According to official accounts, the two U-208 light propeller aircraft were on a training mission from the Guidonia Military Airport, located around 25 kilometers northeast of Rome. There were no immediate signs of distress from either pilot, and there were no reported injuries on the ground, though news sources said some wreckage fell into a roadside parking area, causing property damage.

The crash was visible from the ground, and its aftermath was recorded by several local residents, with images and videos published in the Italian media. Media reports quoted witnesses as saying that the planes were flying in formation before veering off course and making contact.

Circulating footage of the crash site near Rome, Italy, where two training Air Force aircrafts collided and both pilots are reportedly killed. #Italy pic.twitter.com/Y4sWF1OipS — AlAudhli العوذلي (@AAudhli) March 7, 2023

The pilots, part of the 60th Wing, a unit of the Italian Air Force based at the Guidonia Military Airport, were reportedly carrying out exercises ahead of celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Air Force later this month. It is unclear how the accident and the pilots' deaths will impact the celebrations.

According to Air Force data, the U-208 is a lightweight, single-prop aircraft capable of maximum speeds of 285 kilometers per hour. The aircraft, which is not used for combat, can carry up to five passengers, including the pilot.

The events on Tuesday sparked messages of condolences, including from Italy`s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said she was "devastated to hear about the deaths of two Air Force pilots during a training accident near Guidonia."

With IANS Inputs