What happened
On October 6, 2006, a Scheibe SF.25C motor glider, registration D-KDFS, crashed in a mountainous, forested area near Folignano di Fondo, in the municipality of Bosco Chiesanuova, Italy. The aircraft had departed from Ferrara, Italy, with a planned route toward Germany, intending to fly over Trento, Bolzano, Innsbruck, and Salzburg.
At approximately 09:53 UTC, the pilot established radio contact with Villafranca Tower, reporting his position near San Bonifacio and stating his intention to proceed toward Germany via Trento. During a subsequent communication, the pilot reported being approximately 30 miles south of Trento. Following this, the aircraft ceased all radio transmissions. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the crew, air traffic services activated an emergency alarm at 10:37 UTC. The wreckage was eventually located at an altitude of 1,370 meters at approximately 12:40 UTC. Both occupants, a pilot and a passenger, sustained fatal injuries upon impact.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation examined the wreckage, the aircraft's technical records, and meteorological conditions. Investigators found that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition, with no mechanical failures or engine anomalies identified. The engine and flight controls were fully functional at the time of the accident. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was operating at a mass near its maximum allowable limit.
Meteorological analysis revealed that while visibility at nearby airports was good, the valley where the accident occurred was experiencing haze and cumuliform cloud formations. Furthermore, the investigation established that the pilot had not filed a flight plan for this international crossing, which delayed the initial search efforts.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the left wing striking the tops of two fir trees, which led to a loss of control and a subsequent nose-down impact with the ground.
- The aircraft was flying at an altitude that was too low relative to the local terrain/orography.
- The high mass of the aircraft, being near its maximum limit, likely reduced the available climb gradient, making it difficult to clear obstacles.
- Local haze and cloud formations may have caused a momentary loss of visual references, contributing to the collision with the trees.
- The lack of a filed flight plan hindered the rapid localization of the wreckage.