Nice - Locarno

On August 16, 2002 at 03:42 PM, Nice - Locarno experienced a crash involving Beechcraft 60 Duke, operated by Fematic Engineering, with the event recorded near Jerago con Orago Lombardy.

The flight was categorized as private and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 3, passenger fatalities: 3, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The twin engine aircraft departed Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport on a flight to Locarno, Ticino, with four people on board. While cruising over Milan at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the pilot was invited to change his frequency and to contact Locarno Tower. Forty-six seconds later, he declared an emergency and informed ATC that he lost an engine. He was cleared to descent for a landing on either runway 35L or 35R but the aircraft continued to the north so he was later cleared to land on either runway 17L or 17R. Suddenly, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent then nosed down and crashed in a near vertical attitude in a wooded area located in Jerago con Orago, about 8 km northeast of Milan-Malpensa Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and all four occupants were killed. There was no fire.

Aircraft reference details include registration HB-GFA, MSN P-172, year of manufacture 1971.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 45.7080°, 8.7940°.