Accident
A twin-engine aircraft departed Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport on a flight to Locarno, Ticino, with four people on board. While cruising over Milan at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the pilot was instructed to change frequency and contact Locarno Tower. Forty-six seconds later, he declared an emergency and reported the loss of an engine. Air traffic control cleared the aircraft to descend for landing on either runway 35L or 35R, but the aircraft continued north. Subsequently, the pilot was cleared to land on either runway 17L or 17R. Suddenly, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, nosed down, and crashed in a near-vertical attitude in a wooded area in Jerago con Orago, approximately 8 km northeast of Milan-Malpensa Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces, and all four occupants were killed. No fire occurred.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident. The right engine failed in flight, followed shortly afterward by the left engine. These failures resulted from poor management of the fuel system by the pilot, particularly regarding the fuel mixture, which was not sufficiently rich. The pilot failed to maintain sufficient speed, and the aircraft stalled from an altitude that precluded recovery.