Italy: Mid-air collision kills two air force pilots
March 7, 2023Two Italian Air Force pilots were killed when a mid-air collision occurred during training exercises being conducted near Guidonia Air Base, roughly 25 kilometers (15 miles) northwest of the capital Rome.
The exercises were being conducted in lightweight SIAI-Marchetti S.208 training aircraft — single-engine vehicles capable of carrying up to five individuals including the pilot. The planes have a top speed of 285 kilometers per hour (177 mph).
No cause was given for the collision, nor were any injuries reported on the ground.
Italy's ANSA news agency said one plane fell onto a parked car while the other landed in a field.
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni expressed her condolences to the family and friends of the pilots as well as to the Air Force.
"We are devastated to hear about the deaths of two Air Force pilots during a training exercise near Guidonia," said the politician.
js/ar (AFP, AP)