Aircraft overrun at Florence-Peretola Airport

1 fatality • Florence-Peretola, Italy • Landing (descent or approach)

A twin-engine aircraft overran the runway at Florence-Peretola Airport after a high-speed touchdown, resulting in structural failure and multiple injuries.

What happened

A scheduled flight departing from Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport for Florence was operating with a total of 17 people on board, including 14 passengers and three crew members. During the approach to runway 23 at Florence-Peretola Airport, the twin engine aircraft maintained an excessive approach speed. Upon touching down, the aircraft experienced several bounces before making a heavy landing approximately 350 metres before the runway threshold.

Following the heavy impact, the aircraft was unable to decelerate within the remaining runway length. The vessel overran the runway, breached perimeter fencing, and struck an embankment. The collision occurred near the emergency lane of the Florence-Pisa motorway, causing the airframe to break into two sections and resulting in the destruction of the cockpit. While 15 occupants from the main cabin, including the passengers and a flight attendant, were evacuated with minor injuries, both pilots sustained serious injuries. Tragically, one of the pilots succumbed to his injuries two days after the accident.

Findings

  • The aircraft approached the runway at a speed that was too high for a safe landing.
  • The landing was characterized by multiple bounces and a heavy touchdown.

Probable cause

The aircraft's approach speed was excessive, leading to a heavy touchdown and subsequent runway overrun.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1997-07-30 ATR42-500 accident near Florence-Peretola, Italy?

A twin-engine aircraft overran the runway at Florence-Peretola Airport after a high-speed touchdown, resulting in structural failure and multiple injuries.

Were there any fatalities in the 1997-07-30 ATR42-500 accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 1 fatality.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1997-07-30 involved a ATR42-500, registration F-GPYE, operated by Air Littoral, at Florence-Peretola, Italy.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft's approach speed was excessive, leading to a heavy touchdown and subsequent runway overrun.

Loading the flight search…