What happened
During a scheduled local test flight departing from Naples-Capodichino, a twin engine airplane experienced a catastrophic structural failure while in transit. The aircraft's tail section became detached from the fuselage during the flight. Following this separation, the plane lost stability and entered an uncontrolled dive.
The descent ended when the aircraft struck a mountain slope situated near Gragnano, approximately 27 km southeast of Naples. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were four fatalities among the crew, which included one test pilot, one radio navigator, and two engineers.
Findings
Official investigations into the accident were unable to establish a definitive cause with absolute certainty. However, investigators concluded that the separation of the tail was likely triggered by in-flight vibrations.