What happened
On April 10, 2006, a Cirrus SR 20, registration D-EUNO, was conducting a VFR flight from Lucca to Cagliari with a pilot and three passengers. During the flight, the pilot diverted to Olbia to refuel due to increased fuel consumption caused by strong headwinds. After departing Olbia, the aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions. Approximately 10 nautical miles north of Tortol．ì, the pilot observed wind speeds increasing from 25 to 40 knots within ten minutes.
Upon contacting Tortolì Information, the pilot was informed that the airport was closed due to the lack of firefighting services. The operator noted that any landing would be at the pilot's own responsibility. The pilot initially attempted to continue toward Cagliari, but while 9 nautical miles south of Tortolì, the aircraft was struck by severe turbulence and wind gusts of approximately 50 knots. Due to the extreme weather and the high level of anxiety experienced by a passenger, the pilot decided to divert and land at the closed Tortolì airfield. The landing was completed at 11:29 UTC without injury to the four persons on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's decision-making and the operational status of the airfield. While the pilot acted to mitigate the risks posed by severe turbulence, the investigation established that the pilot was unaware of the specific regulations governing the opening and closing of Tortolì airport. According to official ATS documentation, the aerodrome is open to tourist and international commercial traffic with 24-hour notice. Had the pilot consulted the official ATS documentation prior to departure, the closed status of the airfield might have been known.