Accident Overview
A single-engine aircraft crashed near Parma-Giuseppe Verdi Airport, Italy, after stalling on short final approach. The aircraft was destroyed in the impact, and all three occupants were killed. The accident occurred during a local training flight intended to revalidate the pilot-in-command's PA-46 license.
Flight History
The aircraft departed Parma-Giuseppe Verdi Airport at 1635 local time on a local training flight. On board were an instructor, a pilot under supervision, and a passenger who held a PA-46 rating. After an emergency landing and a touch-and-go maneuver, the crew initiated a new circuit and was cleared for an approach to Runway 20 under visual flight rules (VFR) conditions. On short final, while executing a left turn to join the approach path, the aircraft stalled. It then struck power lines and crashed near a roundabout located approximately 1,100 meters short of Runway 20.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident to be a loss of control resulting from an aerodynamic stall during the left turn, attributed to insufficient airspeed. The pilot-in-command reduced engine power excessively while turning into the setting sun, possibly due to a loss of situational awareness. The aircraft's low altitude precluded a successful stall recovery.