Incident Overview
On the day of the accident, the crew departed from Pratica di Mare-Colonello Mario de Bernardi Air Force Base at 1333 local time for a training mission. En route, one of the aircraft's engines caught fire, prompting the crew to decide to return to base.
Sequence of Events
While increasing engine power during the return, the aircraft began to lose height. It subsequently crashed approximately 200 meters from nearby houses and burst into flames. The impact and ensuing fire resulted in the destruction of the aircraft.
Crew
The aircraft carried four occupants: pilot Valtiero Bertozzi, copilot Mosè Tomassetti, and flight engineers Armando Lattaro and Nicola Senatore. All four were killed in the accident.
Official Findings
The investigation concluded that the probable cause of the accident was an engine fire that occurred in flight for unknown reasons.