Small plane hits Pirelli building in Milan, Italy

VCEcollector · 04-18-2002, 01:38 PM

Just heard this...
A small tourist plane, supposedly a Piper aircraft (no details) just hit the 127-mt. tall Pirelli building in Milan, which houses the offices of the Lombardy region.

It hit the building between the 20th and the 25th floor, the top floors are reported to be on fire. Lots of smoke to be seen from outside. Several people were injured in the crash.

Apparently it happened due to a failure of the aircraft, no details known yet, there is some controversial information as to the ATC communications but it looks like it was an accident.

Sad news

Reminds you a bit of 09/11/'01 even though the causes are different.

Federico

UALsprtofSEA2 · 04-18-2002, 04:31 PM

The latest word is the small private plane was coming from Switzerland. Its being reported that the plane was having engine problems and that the pilot had radioed a SOS. There was major damage to the upper floors and Fox is reporting at least four dead and many more hurt.

Scott

DeltaFlot · 04-18-2002, 08:46 PM

Three dead as plane hits Milan's tallest building
April 18, 2002 Posted: 6:13 PM EDT (2213 GMT)

MILAN, Italy (CNN) -- A small private plane slammed into Milan's tallest building on Thursday, killing at least three people, injuring dozens more and carving a huge gash in the 32-story structure.

The aircraft -- a single-propeller Rockwell Commander 112 TC piloted by a 75-year-old Swiss man -- hit the 26th floor of the Pirelli Tower in an apparent accident at 5:48 p.m. (11:48 a.m. EDT), 18 minutes after taking off, Italian officials said.

An Italian law enforcement official said authorities have no evidence of a link to terrorism. Sources in Washington told CNN that, despite previous warnings, there is no intelligence about a terrorist attack targeting Italy.

Milan fire brigade officials said the aircraft -- containing only the pilot, according to the flight plan -- was on fire as it flew into the tower. There was an explosion in the building when the four-seat plane hit, but there is no danger the building would collapse, police said.

The tower -- which once housed the headquarters of Italian tire and cable manufacturer Pirelli -- now serves as the headquarters for the regional government. Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said the pilot, a government official who was working inside the building and a third person who was not identified died in the crash.

Thirty to 40 people from the 415-feet-high (127-meter) tower in central Milan were taken to hospital with injuries, mostly broken arms and legs, a reporter on the scene told CNN.

One Milan hospital, Fatebene Fratelli, said it had received 20 injured, including a woman with burns.

The flight originated in Magadino Airport near Locarno, Switzerland, about 50 miles from Milan. Aviation officials identified the pilot as Luigi Gino Fasulo, a repairman and a resident of Pregassona, Switzerland, a small town just outside Locarno.

Luis Pedrolino, a flight instructor who called himself a friend of the pilot, said Fasulo would never have been involved in any terrorist attack or suicide attempt. Pedrolino said the route to Milan's downtown airport, Linate, typically excludes flying directly over the city center, speculating that the pilot had been trying to take a shortcut because of mechanical problems.

The pilot, flying in clear skies, had radioed aviation officials that he was having trouble with his landing gear.

"He wasn't able to land, so he swung toward the city -- something he absolutely shouldn't have done," said Alfredo Roma, head of Italy's civil aviation authority.

Fasulo held a commercial pilot's license, owned the plane and had 30 years of commercial flight experience, one of his relatives, who asked not to be identified, told CNN. The 210-horsepower aircraft itself was built in 1976 and can fly as high as 20,000 feet, RAI television said.

In the moments after the crash, onlookers gaped from the piazza at the smoking hole carved into the concrete structure. Firemen controlled the blaze within an hour of the crash.

The tower, located near Milan's central train station, is one of the world's tallest concrete buildings. Designed in the 1950s by architects Gio Ponti and Pier Luigi Nervi, the building is one of the city's most prominent symbols, along with the city's cathedral. The train station and Linate airport were both shut down after the crash as a precaution, Italian officials said. Malpense, the international airport about an hour outside Milan, halted flights for a brief time but did not close.

04-18-2002, 01:38 PM	#1
VCEcollector Senior Collector Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Trieste, Italy Age: 22 Posts: 221	Small plane hits Pirelli building in Milan, Italy Just heard this... A small tourist plane, supposedly a Piper aircraft (no details) just hit the 127-mt. tall Pirelli building in Milan, which houses the offices of the Lombardy region. It hit the building between the 20th and the 25th floor, the top floors are reported to be on fire. Lots of smoke to be seen from outside. Several people were injured in the crash. Apparently it happened due to a failure of the aircraft, no details known yet, there is some controversial information as to the ATC communications but it looks like it was an accident. Sad news Reminds you a bit of 09/11/'01 even though the causes are different. Federico __________________ Federico Last edited by VCEcollector; 04-18-2002 at 01:54 PM.

04-18-2002, 04:31 PM	#2
UALsprtofSEA2 Master Collector Join Date: May 2000 Location: Chicago Age: 45 Posts: 895	from fox news The latest word is the small private plane was coming from Switzerland. Its being reported that the plane was having engine problems and that the pilot had radioed a SOS. There was major damage to the upper floors and Fox is reporting at least four dead and many more hurt. Scott __________________ 737-200 United Airlines(bl/gry) Midway(80s) 727-100 Flying Tigers,UPS,Emery,DHL, TWA 727-200 ATA, Delta Shuttle,Carnival,Sunworld(WL's). 747-300 Swissair(80's livery), KLM combi (90's livery). 757-200 UAL(sb), Eastern(reg. tail) 767-200 United(any), Delta(any),TWA(red stripes),Airborne Express, All Nippon,Kuwait,LOT,Varig(any). DC-10's Swissair(all), ATA

04-18-2002, 08:46 PM	#3
DeltaFlot The Patriot Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Laurel, MD Age: 36 Posts: 3,228	more details Three dead as plane hits Milan's tallest building April 18, 2002 Posted: 6:13 PM EDT (2213 GMT) MILAN, Italy (CNN) -- A small private plane slammed into Milan's tallest building on Thursday, killing at least three people, injuring dozens more and carving a huge gash in the 32-story structure. The aircraft -- a single-propeller Rockwell Commander 112 TC piloted by a 75-year-old Swiss man -- hit the 26th floor of the Pirelli Tower in an apparent accident at 5:48 p.m. (11:48 a.m. EDT), 18 minutes after taking off, Italian officials said. An Italian law enforcement official said authorities have no evidence of a link to terrorism. Sources in Washington told CNN that, despite previous warnings, there is no intelligence about a terrorist attack targeting Italy. Milan fire brigade officials said the aircraft -- containing only the pilot, according to the flight plan -- was on fire as it flew into the tower. There was an explosion in the building when the four-seat plane hit, but there is no danger the building would collapse, police said. The tower -- which once housed the headquarters of Italian tire and cable manufacturer Pirelli -- now serves as the headquarters for the regional government. Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said the pilot, a government official who was working inside the building and a third person who was not identified died in the crash. Thirty to 40 people from the 415-feet-high (127-meter) tower in central Milan were taken to hospital with injuries, mostly broken arms and legs, a reporter on the scene told CNN. One Milan hospital, Fatebene Fratelli, said it had received 20 injured, including a woman with burns. The flight originated in Magadino Airport near Locarno, Switzerland, about 50 miles from Milan. Aviation officials identified the pilot as Luigi Gino Fasulo, a repairman and a resident of Pregassona, Switzerland, a small town just outside Locarno. Luis Pedrolino, a flight instructor who called himself a friend of the pilot, said Fasulo would never have been involved in any terrorist attack or suicide attempt. Pedrolino said the route to Milan's downtown airport, Linate, typically excludes flying directly over the city center, speculating that the pilot had been trying to take a shortcut because of mechanical problems. The pilot, flying in clear skies, had radioed aviation officials that he was having trouble with his landing gear. "He wasn't able to land, so he swung toward the city -- something he absolutely shouldn't have done," said Alfredo Roma, head of Italy's civil aviation authority. Fasulo held a commercial pilot's license, owned the plane and had 30 years of commercial flight experience, one of his relatives, who asked not to be identified, told CNN. The 210-horsepower aircraft itself was built in 1976 and can fly as high as 20,000 feet, RAI television said. In the moments after the crash, onlookers gaped from the piazza at the smoking hole carved into the concrete structure. Firemen controlled the blaze within an hour of the crash. The tower, located near Milan's central train station, is one of the world's tallest concrete buildings. Designed in the 1950s by architects Gio Ponti and Pier Luigi Nervi, the building is one of the city's most prominent symbols, along with the city's cathedral. The train station and Linate airport were both shut down after the crash as a precaution, Italian officials said. Malpense, the international airport about an hour outside Milan, halted flights for a brief time but did not close. __________________ Febuary 15, 1898 December 7, 1941 June 8, 1967 September 11, 2001 Never Forget, Never Forgive If you kick the Tiger in the arse, you better be able to deal with the Tiger's teeth.

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