2002 Pirelli Tower airplane crash
Impact zone in the Pirelli Tower | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 18 April 2002 |
| Summary | Collision with building |
| Site | Pirelli Tower, Milan, Italy 45°29′05″N 9°12′05″E / 45.48472°N 9.20139°E |
| Total fatalities | 3 |
| Total injuries | 60-70 |
| Aircraft | |
| A Rockwell Commander 112, similar to the aircraft involved | |
| Aircraft type | Rockwell Commander 112TC |
| Operator | Private |
| Registration | HB-NCX |
| Flight origin | Locarno Airport, Magadino, Switzerland |
| Destination | Milan Linate Airport, Milan, Italy |
| Occupants | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground fatalities | 2 |
| Ground injuries | 60-70 |
On 18 April 2002, a privately operated single-engine Rockwell Commander 112TC flying from Locarno Airport, Switzerland, to Milan Linate Airport, Italy, crashed into the upper floors of the Pirelli Tower in Milan, Italy. The pilot – the aircraft's sole occupant – and two building employees were killed, and 60-70 others were injured.
Although initial suspicions pointed to a terrorist attack, owing to the crash occurring a few months after the September 11 attacks, investigators stated that the crash was likely an accident. Despite ensuing suspicions that the pilot had intentionally flown the aircraft into the tower, the theory was ruled out.[1] A subsequent investigation by the ANSV found that the pilot was likely unable to "adequately manage the final phase of the flight in the presence of technical, operational, and environmental issues."
Aircraft and crew
The aircraft involved was a Rockwell Commander 112TC registered as HB-NCX.[2][3] The Rockwell Commander is a small aircraft powered by a piston engine; the aircraft can reach a maximum altitude of 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) and can seat a pilot and three passengers.[3] The aircraft was owned and piloted by 67-year-old Luigi Fasulo.[2][3]
Accident
At 17:45,[4][3] the aircraft crashed into the deck beams of the 26th and 27th floor of the Pirelli Tower, resulting in the explosion of the aircraft's fuel tanks placed near the wings.[5]
The crash killed the pilot and two lawyers who were in the tower. At the time of the crash, most of the region's workers had left their offices; 300 people were in the Pirelli Tower compared to an average of 1300 people.[1]
Between thirty and forty people were taken to the hospital with moderate injuries, while fire-fighters contained the fire that resulted from the crash. Immediately after the crash, the nearby Milan central railway station, metro station and the Linate airport were closed.[6]
Aftermath
The crash aroused fears of a terrorist attack since it occurred seven months after the September 11 attacks. Because of this, stock markets around the United States and Europe fell sharply, and business trading in Milan was suspended. The fears ended when investigators concluded that the crash was not an act of terrorism.[7][8]
Investigation
The National Agency for the Safety of Flight (ANSV) was first notified of the crash by a journalist. The ANSV then formed an investigative team and proceeded to the crash site to begin their investigation.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Vent'anni fa un aereo si schiantò contro il grattacielo Pirelli a Milano" [Twenty years ago a plane crashed into the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan]. Il Post (in Italian). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Aereo contro il Pirellone il 18 aprile 2002: il pilota Luigi Fasulo e le vittime, cos'è successo 20 anni fa a Milano" [Plane crashes into the Pirellone on April 18, 2002: Pilot Luigi Fasulo and the victims, what happened 20 years ago in Milan]. Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 18 April 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d Fiameni et al. 2003, p. 704
- ^ a b ANSV 2002, p. IV
- ^ Franchi et al. 2009, p. 537
- ^ "Three dead as plane hits Milan's tallest building". CNN. 19 April 2002. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
- ^ Janine Yagielski: New Yorkers' first reaction: 'Not again' Archived 14 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, CNN, 19 April 2002. URL Accessed: 4 August 2006
- ^ BBC News: Markets rattled by Milan plane crash, 18 April 2002. URL Accessed: 4 August 2006
Sources
- Incidente occorso all'aeromobile Rockwell Commander 112TC, marche HB-NCX, località Milano Palazzo della Regione (Grattacielo Pirelli) il 18/04/2002 [Accident involving the Rockwell Commander 112TC aircraft, registration HB-NCX, at the Palazzo della Regione (Pirelli Tower) in Milan on 18/04/2002] (PDF) (Report) (in Italian). National Agency for the Safety of Flight. 12 December 2002. N. A/18/02. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- Fiameni, C.; Gallina, G.; Caputo, R.; Limido, A. (2003). "The Incident at The Pirelli Skyscraper: A Case Study" (PDF). Proceedings of the CIB-CTBUH International Conference on Tall Buildings, 20-23 October 2003, Malaysia (290). Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Franchi, A.; Migliacci, A.; Acito, M.; Crespi, P. (June 2009). "The airplane crash at the "Pirelli" tall building" (PDF). In Mazzolani, F. (ed.). Protection of historical buildings: PROHITECH 09 (1st ed.). Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press. pp. 537–542. ISBN 978-0-415-55803-7. OCLC 430052266.