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 MM80065, was carrying a crew of four 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 the debris field in an area of wasteland positioned less than one kilometer from the coastline. The accident resulted in nine fatalities, as all personnel on board both aircraft perished.
Findings
The specific circumstances surrounding the mid-air impact remain unclear, though the collision occurred while the flight crews were engaged in a routine training sortie.