Frecce Tricolore: Incident in flight at Pantelleria
On 6 May 2025, the island of Pantelleria experienced a frightening moment during a performance by the Frecce Tricolori. The aerobatic display, which had just started, was interrupted by an unexpected in-flight accident. During one of the manoeuvres, two aircraft touched, causing them to lose altitude in a dangerous manner. Fortunately, the extraordinary skill of the pilots prevented a tragedy. Pantelleria's mayor, Fabrizio D'Ancona, emphasised the courage of the pilots, who never lost control of their aircraft and brought them to the ground without causing any damage to the public. Only one of the aircraft had a more problematic outcome: one plane went off the runway, and the pilot was taken to hospital with a suspected fracture, later determined to be a slight knee injury.
The dynamics of the Frecce Tricolore accident and hypotheses
The accident occurred during the 'cardiode' aerobatic manoeuvre, in which four of the aircraft in the group of ten became separated from the rest of the formation. Three aircraft landed successfully at Pantelleria airport, but one of them had problems with its front wheel, which caused it to go off the runway. Initial reconstructions rule out a bird strike as the cause of the accident, but further investigations are needed to understand the precise cause of the technical problem that led to the runway going off the runway. The Air Force confirmed that the abnormal separation of the formation was handled with mastery by the pilots, who managed to perform a controlled landing despite the emergency situation.
The memory of the Turin accident and spectator safety
This incident recalls what happened in September 2023 in Turinwhere an aircraft of the Frecce Tricolori, struck by a flock of birds, lost control during take-off, causing a tragedy that saw the death of a little girl. Fortunately, the accident in Pantelleria did not have dramatic consequences for the public, as spectators were at a safe distance. However, the risk was tangible, and the Air Force immediately launched a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the technical malfunction and to prevent future accidents.
Born Alessandro Generotti, C.le Maj. Parachutist on leave. Military Parachutist Patent no. 192806. 186th RGT Par. Folgore/5th BTG. Par. El Alamein/XIII Cp. Par. Condor.
Founder and administrator of the website BRIGATAFOLGORE.NET. Blogger and computer scientist by profession.
