Incident Overview
On January 23, 2001, at 01:44 UTC (02:44 local time), a Boeing 747-243B Special Freighter with registration I-DEMC was involved in a serious incident during its landing phase at Milan Malpensa Airport. The aircraft, operating as Alitalia cargo flight AZ 9209 from Chicago, made contact with the runway surface on Runway 35R.
Operational Context and Conditions
The flight crew consisted of three Italian nationals: the commander, first officer, and a flight engineer. At the time of the event, Low Visibility Operations (LVO) in Category II were in effect at the airport. Meteorological reports indicated calm winds, rain, fog, and an overcast ceiling at 4,000 feet. The Runway Visual Range (RVR) for Runway 35R was reported as 800 meters.
Damage and Investigation Findings
The incident resulted in no injuries to the personnel on board. However, the abrupt and prolonged contact between the lower part of engine number 4 (the outer engine under the right wing) and the runway surface caused damage to the engine nacelle cowlings, the thrust reverser shells, and the gearbox for auxiliary power systems.
The Italian National Agency for Flight Safety (ANSV) opened a technical investigation after classifying the event as a serious incident. The investigation relied on documentation provided by ENAC and an audit of the crew members conducted in September 2001. Notably, Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Performance Maintenance Recorder (PMR) data were not available for the ANSV inquiry, though Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) data had been transcribed by the operator.