What happened
On the morning of the accident, a single-engine aircraft departed from Budapest-Ferihegy Airport at 08:29 local time, bound for Tunis. The planned flight path under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) was intended to take the plane over Split and Pescara, crossing the Apennines toward Ostia before reaching the final destination.
During the flight, the weather conditions over central Italy were characterized by low cloud cover, icing, and thunderstorm activity associated with a cold front. At 13:20 local time, while flying over the Adriatic Sea, the pilot reported passing Pescara and indicated an intention to proceed to the Aneda reporting point while maintaining an altitude of 5,500 feet. Air Traffic Control (ATC) verified with the crew that the flight could proceed under VFR conditions.
Shortly after this communication, while traveling at a speed of 115 knots, the aircraft struck the side of Mt Rotondo, which has an elevation of 1,880 meters, near the area of Rocca di Mezzo. The impact caused the plane to disintegrate, and there were three fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
- The flight was operating under VFR in an area experiencing adverse weather conditions, including low clouds and thunderstorms.
- The aircraft struck terrain while navigating through the Apennines.