There was a terrible plane crash in Italy.
Two pilots were killed.
When a machine crashed, dramatic scenes took place.
Guidonia/Rome – There are dramatic images coming from Italy on Tuesday: Two Italian military aircraft collided during an exercise.
The machines then crashed, killing both pilots.
One of them apparently managed to prevent further victims through targeted maneuvers.
According to the Italian La Repubblica,
the collision happened
around 11 a.m. on Tuesday during a training mission by the Italian Air Force.
This took place over the central Italian town of Guidonia Montecelio near Rome.
During the flight with a total of four light aircraft, two of the machines apparently touched.
They then crashed, as confirmed by the Italian Air Force.
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According to the report, one of the planes landed in a meadow near the airport.
The other plane, on the other hand, crashed over a residential area.
The pilot is said to have managed to land on a street by deliberately avoiding houses.
However, he collided with a car on Via delle Margherite.
After the daring landing and the collision, the pilot is said to have survived.
According to
La Repubblica,
he was screaming for help.
Some residents rushed to help with fire extinguishers.
But the plane then exploded.
Both pilots (46 and 47 years old) died in the accident.
So far there have been no reports of other injuries.
Apparently, the pilots prevented exactly this with their landings.
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“We have to assume that the plane that crashed into the street was deliberately directed there by the pilot to cause as little damage as possible.
(...) A fall on one of the buildings on the roadside would have claimed many lives,” said Tivoli prosecutor Francesco Menditto, according to
La Repubblica
.
Mi unisco al suo cordoglio presidente x le famiglie dei due piloti.
Oggi a #Guidonia si é sfiorata una strage.
Spero che sia chiaro questo.
Non oso pensare se uno dei due aerei si fosse caduto qualche km piú in là dove c'é il centro commerciale.
pic.twitter.com/GIg4HsO7X0
— Giovanni Campobasso (@giov_campobasso) March 7, 2023
“Incredible, the plane landed in the middle of the street with its wings parallel.
It appears to have been a deliberate maneuver to minimize damage.
Either he's a hero or a miracle happened," Guidonia's Mayor Mauro Lombardo told the newspaper.
The two pilots are said to have been trainers.
The collision probably occurred a few minutes before the end of the exercise and before the landing phase.
The exact circumstances of the crash are now being investigated.
A collision in the air is currently assumed.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her dismay at the crash and the death of the two pilots.
“On behalf of the government, I offer my deepest condolences and solidarity to the families, colleagues at 60 Squadron and the Air Force.
Our prayers go out to them," said the right-wing politician, according to a statement.
(rjs)