The report of the investigation into the AW-609 accident was published by ANSV (National Flight Safety Agency) (CLICK HERE), the convertiplane workhorse of the promotional image of the then Agusta-Westland (now Leonardo).
A big bad accident ... there is talk of about 70 machines already optioned for years at an average unit cost of $ 20.000.000 which, with any penalties and fall of the share title following a possible cancellation of the program, would do a "nice damage "(Without considering the cost of the thirty-year experimentation carried out before that damned accident, which still has to be amortized).
But to whom, as he writes, of these things nothing matters, when he speaks of "a great harm" refers solely (and sarcastically) to the loss of human consequence of that incident.
We had already written something "hot" to commemorate the figure of those two Experimenters, a few days after the accident (v.articolo).
At the same time, others, commemorating the loss of the pilot's friend elsewhere, raised their attention to a previous accident a year ago and that this inquiry report now puts it in direct connection and how much it is hit (whoever wants to find it , promising this memory) with the destructive incident of the second prototype of AW-609.
Those who would like to better understand the technical details of this inquiry report, or to make a "posture knowledge" by Piertro Venanzi, warmly recommend watching the video published by the Volandia Museum to this link.
Now that the discourse closes, we want to complete our memory of the person and the pilot, and the most appropriate words are those of the experimental tester Enrico Scarabotto:
It is the memory of a life together: with Pietro we started at Academy, which is a challenge both human and professional 4 years long.
Flying schools together, then departments and then we found ourselves at the Experimental Flight Seat Flight Department. We have put together the test pilot's course: another beautiful challenge and that has brought us a lot (abroad a year, so much to study, so much to fly); surely an important appointment. Pietro has always been the best pilot I've ever known: the best driver of the "Centauro" course, and probably the best Italian driver. And this has always been recognized, of course, not just by classmates.
He also went to the helicopters, also distinguishing himself in that part of the flight so different from that from which he was born: the NH90 was born. Then the AW-609. From the professional point of view it was unimaginable. What I like to remember about him is that he was also human-inspired: a crystalline person, as I said on other occasions, like his eyes: no filter.
He was direct, and this allowed him to have a true friendship with him. And then also in the family: he was a great dad and a great husband.
So the fact that it has been able to combine this human capacity together with the professional makes it great and not because there is no more, but because it really was!
Like the "bigger ones" he also had a unique modesty: he did not like being under the spotlight.
The very fact that he "accepted" that two of the same seniority, perhaps with different roles, did that experience with the G-222 is proof of this. There was no competition: he liked flying with everyone and in any position and role, in the meantime he did not have to prove anything: we all knew he was good. So only good memories.
The G-222 reference, said so remains cloudy, but this is explained in this way: in the 1997 the Venanzi-Scarabotto crew was rewarded at Fairford for the best presentation in flight, although Venanzi himself had removed from the program the spectacular "tonneau "To ensure better security for the public.
That "tonneau" removed, now performed regularly with the C27 that the G-222 is the heir, is the most welcoming "chicca" of hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts of flying presentations.
Of the acknowledgments received, for his modesty, Pietro Venanzi did not mention it, as already mentioned.
Here, however, we want to point out that he remains the (probably unbeaten) primacy of being the pilot pilot of the Military Air Force to have aired the largest number of different flying machines. It is not a recent primacy and is certainly the most welcome to those who, like him, really loved flying.
Memorable presentations of the F-104 that we try to describe in the technical name of the acrobatic figures performed, in an attempt to transmit a bit 'of the involvement that was trying to see them: takeoff, half "eight Cuban", turn "John Derry ", Triple" tonneaux "," slice-back ", slow flight in landing configuration, narrow turn of 360 ° public front, other turn" John Derry ", fast passage, return," roll-under "in front of the public , last turn "John Derry" and landing. For non-professionals it means doing with an aircraft that is particularly "difficult" and at the limit of dangerousness in the acrobatic flight, even if extremely fascinating, this sequence of evolutions (v.video)
Pietro Venanzi was awarded the Bronze Medal at the Air Force for the management of another previous accident. This is the motivation:
"Pilot responsible for the conduct of a single-engine helicopter mission, accelerating after the take-off of a very serious engine emergency, requiring immediate landing in autorotation, despite the extreme criticality of the conditions in which the failure suddenly manifested itself, kept control of it by directing it promptly to the only place with adequate traction features and no implications for the safety of the operation by setting the only difficult practical trajectory and putting at the same time all the possible actions to try to resolve the dangerous situation.The fierce readiness to apply the only possible actions and the exceptional ability to carry them out in extreme circumstances while avoiding the impact with very close natural and artificial obstacles allowed to complete the emergency landing without harm some for the popolaz for the only passenger on board he himself and the helicopter entrusted to him.
Rare and clear example of exceptional professional capacity, courageous determination and absolute attachment to the armed force".
Carpi Sky (Modena), 4 June 1995
From what is said in the report of the accident investigation in which he lost his life, Pietro Venanzi was not directly at the commands of the convertible but co-pilot, although the "AW609 Development Lead Pilot" (or Chief Experimentator Tester AW 609). It is necessary to say that Commander Herbert Moran to the commands of the vehicle, he was a experimenter tester with specific experience of the convertible and knew his own. So if Pietro Venanzi had exercised what was called "emergency authority" in the last few instants of flight, his intervention would not have been a different outcome.
The investigation speaks clearly: the convertible has broken in flight for a contact between the "prop rotor" with the semi-blades, highlighting an occult concealment of design nature that manifests itself in particular high-speed conditions.
From the engineers we are at least surprised at the importance given to the role of the simulator and some other details, such as the software of the automatic flight system, which in our humble opinion should be developed on the basis of the instrumental data of the flight tests provided by testers and not vice versa (otherwise maybe we did not understand the role of Tester Tester ... in that case any explanation is well accepted). However, the report sanctions the nature of the cause of this incident.
On the side of the cold "mechanical" technical details, what is most important to us is that the reconstruction of eyewitnesses of the last moments in flight that reveals elements of analogy with the management of this emergency with the one that took him to that medal value.
Someone will now be able to boast of having already given Pietro Venanzi (and who knows why not also Herbert Moran ...) a posthumous tribute that is worth at least as much as another medal: we anticipate many doubts (not to say absolute certainties). on the actual sincerity of the gesture.
Pietro Venanzi is accrued by Manlio Quarantelli from a mocking series of coincidences: hometown, career, fate, and geographic region of its stage output. Those who have just mentioned this have been much more sincere.
We have nothing else to do with the greeting with which Mrs. Scarabotto closed our interview: "Thank you Pietro! Hello and ... when will it be!"
(photo: web)
