A video posted online shows the aircraft crashing seconds after the formation take off. The pilot managed to eject but the aircraft hit a car killing a little girl and injuring her family.
An MB-339A/PAN MLU of the Frecce Tricolori display team crashed on take off from Turin-Caselle airport in the afternoon on Sept. 16, 2023.
The aircraft was taking off in the first of two 5-ship sections that were due to perform at the Vercelli Airshow 2023 when it experienced a problem that forced the pilot to eject.
Unfortunately, the MB-339 hit a car travelling on a road just outside the perimeter fence: a 5-year old girl was killed, her mother, father and 9-year old brother are injured according to the reports.
A video, first posted online by the Quotidiano Canavese media outlet, shows the aircraft crashing on the ground.
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Based on the position in the formation, the aircraft involved in the incident should be Pony 4 (MM54539), although this has not yet been confirmed.
We will update this story, as new details emerge.
