Tourist plane crashes in Sicily
 

26/05/2006 16:13 - (SA)
Rome - A small private plane carrying Swiss tourists crashed and burst into flames during take off in the countryside near Ragusa, Sicily, on Friday.
All three people on board were killed, said Sicilian fire and police officials.
Ragusa police official Giovanna Cassarino said the plane had just taken off from an airstrip near a farm in southeast Sicily. The victims had been staying at the farm.
Italy's civil aviation agency Enac said the plane was heading to the small Sicilian island of Pantelleria and was part of a group of four aircraft, all Swiss-registered, on a tourist trip to Sicily.
According to an initial Enac reconstruction of the accident, the plane "had requested to make a low flight, but, for reasons still unclear, it crashed to the ground".
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/N...940212,00.html

My sympathy to friends and family.

Does anyone know what type of aircraft it was?

Mooney M20, owned by a Zurich Flying Club on training/holiday.

Danny

Was this the hotel strip at Ragusa-Giubiliana?

Exactly. Wanted to fly to a nearby island, 1 was already in air. 2nd had problems.

The Italian Investigation board says that the accident happened on landing when the aircraft hit an obstacle at the end of the runway, catching fire.

http://www.ansv.it/It/Detail.asp?ID=620

I have just returned from the Malta Rally. Several entrants overnighted at Ragusa and had details of the incident from the airfield owner.
The Mooney approached high and fast and was attempting a go-around. There is a dry stone wall at the end of runway25. The strip is 680m.
Ragusa is by all accounts an idillic destination on Sicilly. However avoid approaches during the midday as the turbulence and wind variation and be extremely demanding.
Safe flying.