Today, around 12.00, there was a plane crash involving an M-346 aircraft, which crashed near Como, in the area above Colico (Monte Legnone).
The rescue vehicles are at work and Leonardo, as usual, immediately set up an internal commission for the incident.
The causes of the accident are being investigated.
Following the intervention of the rescue units, unfortunately, despite the ejection maneuver, the death of one of the two pilots for which Leonardo expresses his deepest condolences was ascertained.
Leonardo reserves the right to provide further updates on the incident in the next few hours.
UPDATE at 17.33pm
Leonardo specifies that at the present stage of the investigations it is completely premature to formulate any hypothesis on the causes of the accident.
The aircraft involved in the accident was an M-346 which was carrying out a flight with a Leonardo test pilot and an instructor pilot from an external company on board. The pilot instructor of the external company has unfortunately passed away.
The aircraft had taken off from the Venegono Superiore (Varese) plant at about 11.00 after the checks required to authorize its flight, completed just before take-off and carried out in accordance with the inspection plan authorized by the competent authorities. The flight plan included tests aimed at demonstrating specific capabilities already tested in the course of several previous flights.
At about 11.35 am, contact with the aircraft was lost. Thanks to the timely intervention of the rescuers, the wreck was identified near Colico (Monte Legnone), between the provinces of Como and Lecco.
Leonardo's leaders express their deepest condolences for the disappearance of the pilot and join in the pain of the family.
Photo: Leonardo archive
