Alitalia Flight 1553

Alitalia Flight 1553 (Flight number AZ1553) operated by Minerva Airlines was a regularly scheduled commercial passenger flight from Cagliari which lost control and overran the runway while landing at Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport on 25 February 1999. Of the 31 occupants on board, 3 died, including one flight attendant.,[1] while another passenger later died in hospital.[2] The Dornier 328 was damaged beyond repair.[3]

Alitalia Flight 1553

A Minerva Airlines Dornier 328, similar to the one involved in the accident
Accident
Date	25 February 1999
Summary	Runway excursion due to pilot error
Site	Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport 44.4141°N 8.8246°E
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Dornier 328-110
Operator	Minerva Airlines
IATA flight No.	AZ1553
ICAO flight No.	AZA1553
Call sign	ALITALIA 1553
Registration	D-CPRR
Flight origin	Cagliari Elmas Airport, Cagliari, Italy
Destination	Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport , Genoa, Italy
Occupants	31
Passengers	27
Crew	4
Fatalities	4
Survivors	23

Flight History

Flight 1553 departed Cagliari for a 1 hour and 25 minute flight to Genoa on 25 February 1999, operated by Minerva Airlines on behalf of Alitalia, with a crew of four on board.[2] The aircraft was under the command of 35 year old Captain Alessandro Del Bono, an experienced pilot with 6000 flight hours, 2000 of which were on the Dornier 328.[4][5] Also in the cockpit were First Officer Walter Beneduce, and a test pilot.[5] In the cabin, there was one flight attendant.[1]

Accident

The aircraft approached and touched down on runway 29 at Genoa Airport with a 15-18 knot tailwind at 11:30am UTC (12:35pm local time).[3][2] Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft touch down very far down the runway, bouncing several times, then veering right, crashing into the retaining wall and collapsing the front landing gear before plunging into the sea.[6][3] Airport crash response crews were quickly contacted and arrived on site after just 70 seconds.[2]

Immediate aftermath

There were 3 immediate deaths, 2 passengers and the flight attendant, along with 11 injuries. Most passengers were taken to the hospital with hypothermia. One passenger later died in the hospital bringing the fatality count to 4.[2] It is believed that the amount of deaths would've been far greater if a 15 year old member of a swim team hadn't rushed to open the emergency exit door.[4]

Investigation

Despite the fact that the accident occurred on the same day that the Italian Parliament voted to create ANSV, the Italian Air Safety Board, ANSV did not investigate this accident as they had not commenced operations yet. Instead, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority launched an inquiry into the accident.[7][2] The inquiry found that:

"Pilot error was the predominant factor. The Captain landed faster than expected, did not effectively counter the crosswind, and failed to select the braking and control systems of the aircraft during the landing phase. Moreover, the Captain did not understand that the poor deceleration of the aircraft was not due to mechanical failures, but due to poor control of the aircraft and its systems"[8]

Captain Del Bono was stripped of his pilots license and sentenced to 2 years and 8 months in prison for negligent homicide.[9] In 2002 an appeal was made to the results, claiming that the aircraft's thrust reversers were jammed on landing, and that the aircraft had veered right because Captain Del Bono had shut off power to the right engine in an attempt to slow the plane down. The previous conviction was upheld as by then the aircraft had already been dismantled and it would've been virtually impossible to find evidence of a mechanical failure.[10]

Aftermath

The Dornier 328 was damaged beyond repair.[3] Minerva Airlines ceased operations in 2003.[11]

Alitalia continued to operate the flight number AZ1553 as a Cagliari-Milan Malpensa flight, operated with an Airbus A320, but this flight number was retired in 2019.[12]

See also

• China Airlines Flight 605, a similar incident involving a Boeing 747 at Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport
• Runway excursion

References

1. "la Repubblica/fatti: Genova: aereo in mare quattro morti, 27 feriti". www.repubblica.it.
2. http://www.airdisasters.co.uk/250299.htm
3. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Dornier 328-110 D-CPRR Genoa-Cristoforo Colombo Airport (GOA)". aviation-safety.net.
4. Carlo, Grimaldi Filippo, Valente Enrico, Basso Damiano, Alfonso Carmelo, Alfonso Luigi, Anghileri Aronne, Ferraro. "L' aereo atterra, va lungo: 4 morti". archiviostorico.gazzetta.it.
5. "L' aereo affonda in mare - la Repubblica.it". Archivio - la Repubblica.it.
6. "#AccaddeOggi: 25 febbraio 1999, cade in mare un aereo partito da Cagliari". L'Unione Sarda.it. February 25, 2018.
7. "ANSV - Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo". web.archive.org. June 4, 2004.
8. "LA TRAGEDIA DI GENOVA "Il pilota sbagliò la manovra Il muretto a fine pista non c'entra" - La Nuova Sardegna". Archivio - La Nuova Sardegna.
9. "Genova. Rito abbreviato per la tragedia dell'aereo della Minerva caduto in mare a Genova il 25 febbraio 1999 Due anni e 8 mesi al pilota del Dornier Al Cristoforo Colombo morirono 3 passeggeri (2 sardi) e una hostess - La Nuova Sardegna". Archivio - La Nuova Sardegna.
10. ""Il Dornier aveva un difetto al sistema frenante" Genova, il perito scagiona il pilota accusato della sciagura al Cristoforo Colombo - La Nuova Sardegna". Archivio - La Nuova Sardegna.
11. Ranter, Harro. "Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety Database > Operator index > Italy > Minerva Airlines". aviation-safety.net.
12. "AZ1553 (AZA1553) Alitalia Flight Tracking and History". FlightAware.