In the late afternoon of today a single-seat Eurofighter aircraft of the 37th Stormo of Trapani-Birgi, returning from a training mission, for reasons not known at the moment, crashed to the ground about 5 miles south-east of the air base to which it belongs.
An HH-139 helicopter of the 82 Center SAR immediately took off from the Trapani base to locate the precise area of ​​the impact and to search for the pilot.
Work is underway to limit the area of ​​the aircraft’s impact, which occurred about 5 miles southeast of the Sicilian air base. In the area, in addition to law enforcement and firefighters, also a team of specialists from the Stormo.
Updated on 14th December 2022 09:30 UTC – Italian Air Force Statement
The Italian Air Force, unfortunately, issued a statement that they have recovered the lifeless body of the Eurofighter pilot who died in the crash.
Rescue teams on the ground identified the pilot Captain Fabio Antonio Altruda assigned to the 37th Wing of Trapani near some wreckage of the aircraft. Captain Altruda, 33 years old, unmarried, originally from Caserta, was returning to the base from a training mission, when for reasons to be ascertained, before going to land, fell to the ground. The impact, which did not result in any damage to people or things, took place in an agricultural area about 2 miles southeast of the Sicilian air base.
The news was communicated to the parents of the young officer, to whom the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General of the Air Squad Luca Goretti, on behalf of the entire Armed Forces, expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences.
Rescue teams and teams of specialists from the Armed Forces immediately intervened on the spot, together with firefighters and law enforcement agencies, who are continuing to operate to secure and circumscribe the impact area.
The Armed Forces will start a flight safety investigation into the incident in the next few hours.
Captain Fabio Antonio Altruda entered the Air Force with the regular Ibis 5th course of the Pozzuoli Air Force Academy in 2007. Combat-ready pilot on Eurofighter aircraft, in force at the 37th Stormo of Trapani since March 2021, he had hundreds of flight hours, many of which also carried out in operations outside national borders in NATO air policing activities.
