Incident Overview
On an unspecified date, a four-engine aircraft named 'Ugolino Vivaldi' departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport at 1016 local time, bound for Rome-Ciampino. At 1436 local time, the crew reported their position at an altitude of 6,500 feet north of Civitavecchia.
Weather and Descent
While descending toward Ciampino, the aircraft encountered poor weather conditions, including thunderstorm activity and turbulence. The aircraft was struck by lightning, after which it dove into the ground and crashed near a railway road located 8 km north of Civitavecchia, approximately 75 km north of Ciampino Airport.
Casualties
A crew member and two passengers were seriously injured, while 14 other occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was fire in flight, due to lightning striking the wing frame of the aircraft and igniting a mixture of air and petrol fumes in one of the wing panels or fuel tanks.