Accident Sequence
On a scheduled service from Alghero Airport to Cagliari-Elmas Airport, an aircraft carrying 27 passengers and a crew of four departed Alghero at 0010 local time. While descending to Cagliari, the crew was informed that runway 14 was in use and that thunderstorm activity with rain was occurring south of the airport. After contacting the Cagliari Tower controller at 0026, the flight was cleared to descend to the transition altitude of 6,000 feet. Observing a consistent formation of Cumulonimbus clouds ahead, the first officer radioed an intention to make a 360-degree turn to lower altitude and avoid the cloud formations. The controller, noting no traffic in the area, authorized the maneuver. The first officer then announced the intention to descend from 7,500 feet to 3,000 feet. The controller asked if the flight had visual contact with the ground, which it did not. The clearance was amended to a descent to 6,000 feet instead of 3,000 feet.
At 0030, the flight reported visual contact with the ground and stated it was about to leave 6,000 feet for 3,000 feet. The controller confirmed this and added that rain had started at the airport. However, the aircraft did not complete the planned 360-degree turn, resulting in a different heading than initially planned. After reaching 3,000 feet, the flight was cleared for the approach. The first officer confirmed this and announced they would start the final approach with a slight deviation to the right of the beacon. At 0034, the first officer asked the controller to confirm that the ILS system was inoperative, which it was.
At this stage, the crew became unaware of their position. The captain believed he was flying over the sea, further south than the actual position, while the first officer correctly believed they were over the mountainous terrain of southern Sardinia. In the final one and a half minutes, the captain asked the first officer to lower the undercarriage and continued the descent. At an altitude of 2,000 feet (610 m), the lower part of the fuselage struck the rocky mountainside of Conca d'Oru, causing the aircraft to break up. A fire erupted. The point of impact was 18 km south-west of the airport. All 31 occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain caused by a wrong approach configuration on part of the flying crew and a misinterpretation of ATC instructions.