What happened
During a local training flight departing from Sigonella NAS, two aircraft operated by the 87th Squadron were involved in a mid-air collision. One of the aircraft, an Italian Air Force Harpoon with registration MM80061, was carrying five crew members at the time of the incident.
Following the impact, both aircraft lost control and descended rapidly toward the earth. The wreckage crashed in the vicinity of Vaccarizzo, situated approximately 15 km south of Catania. Search efforts located debris in a wasteland area positioned less than one kilometer from the coastline. The accident resulted in nine fatalities, as all personnel on board both aircraft were killed.
Findings
The specific circumstances leading to the mid-air collision remain unclear, though the incident occurred during the execution of a routine training sortie.