2008 Procaer F.15A I-ARWI accident at Passo della Borcola

Overview and flight history On 1 June 2008, a single-engine Procaer F.15A “Picchio” with registration I-ARWI was involved in a fatal accident near Passo della Borcola in the municipality of Terragnolo, province of Trento, Italy. The aircraft had departed from Trento Mattarello Airport at 15:50 local time (14:00 UTC) on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight without a flight plan, with four people on board: one pilot and three passengers. The intended destination was Venice Lido Airport. The aircraft had arrived at Trento Mattarello earlier that day at 11:31 local time from Venice Lido. During the stop, the pilot refuelled the aircraft with 97.09 litres of aviation gasoline, filling all three fuel tanks. The flight was part of a group of four aircraft that had travelled from Venice Lido to Trento to attend a celebratory event at the local “G. Caproni” Aviation Museum. ## Accident sequence After takeoff from runway 18, the aircraft was instructed by the Trento Aerodrome Flight Information Unit to contact Garda Approach, but this contact was not made, partly due to terrain obstacles between the aircraft and the radio station. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft coming from the Adige Valley, proceeding toward the Terragnolo Valley, and then entering the Gulva Valley toward Passo della Borcola. Approximately 10 minutes after takeoff, shortly after 16:00 local time, the aircraft impacted the ground at an elevation of about 1,000 metres on the wooded slopes to the left of the valley below Passo della Borcola, roughly 10 nautical miles southeast of Rovereto. The aircraft was completely destroyed, and a fire developed after the impact. ## Casualties and damage All four occupants died from the impact. The fatalities included one crew member and three passengers, two of whom were British citizens. No third-party damage on the ground was reported. ## Aircraft and pilot information The Procaer F.15A “Picchio” series II, construction number 07, was built in 1960 by Procaer SpA. It was powered by a Lycoming O-360-A1A engine and equipped with a Hartzell HC-92ZK-8D propeller. At the time of the accident, the airframe had 1,210 hours and 17 minutes of total time, and the engine had 990 hours and 17 minutes. The aircraft’s airworthiness certificate was valid, and no prior incidents had been reported. The pilot was a 69-year-old Italian male holding a valid private pilot licence for single-engine piston aircraft (SEP land) and a valid second-class medical certificate, with a requirement to wear corrective lenses in flight. His total flight time was 794 hours and 14 minutes, all on single-engine aircraft. In the 12 months before the accident, he had logged 19 hours and 39 minutes, including the unrecorded Voghera–Venice Lido and Venice Lido–Trento flights.