Alitalia Flight 4128
{{Short description|1978 aviation accident}}
{{Expand Italian|topic=transp|Volo Alitalia 4128|date=November 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| name = Alitalia Flight 4128
| image = Alitalia DC-9 I-DIKQ.jpg
| image_upright = 1.16
| caption = I-DIKQ, the aircraft involved in the accident
| date = {{Start date|1978|12|23|df=y}}
| summary = Controlled flight into water, pilot error
| occurrence_type = Accident
| site = Tyrrhenian Sea, off Palermo, Italy
| coordinates = {{coord|38|12|28|N|13|06|32|E|type:event|display=inline,title}}
| aircraft_type = McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
| aircraft_name = Isola di Stromboli
| operator = Alitalia
| IATA = AZ4128
| ICAO = AZA4128
| callsign = ALITALIA 4128
| tail_number = I-DIKQ
| origin = Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome, Italy
| destination = Palermo International Airport, Palermo, Italy
| occupants = 129
| passengers = 124
| crew = 5
| injuries = 20
| survivors = 21
}}
Alitalia Flight 4128 was a scheduled flight from Leonardo da Vinci Airport, in Rome, Italy, to Palermo International Airport in Palermo, Italy, with 129 on board. On 23 December 1978, it crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea about {{convert|3|km|abbr=on}} north of Palermo while on approach.
As a result of the accident, out of 129 people (between passengers and crew), 108 perished and 21 survived, rescued by nearby fishing boats.{{Cite web |last=Ranter |first=Harro |title=ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 I-DIKQ Palermo |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19781223-0 |access-date=2017-10-13 |website=aviation-safety.net}} At the time of the incident, it was the second-deadliest air crash in Alitalia's history behind Alitalia Flight 112 which had crashed 6 years earlier whilst operating the same route.
Cause
The accident was attributed to the flight deck crew believing they were nearer to the runway than they were, and therefore making a premature descent. The initial part of the approach was instrumental until the flight was {{convert|2|mi|km}} from Palermo International Airport. The crew then stopped the descent at 150 feet above the sea, as though trying to locate the final approach area, thinking they were close to the runway because of the airport lights. In the final nine seconds, the aircraft flew almost level with the sea at {{convert|150|kn|km/h mph}}; then, because of the wind, the aircraft lost its final altitude and impacted the water with its right wing. 108 of the 129 passengers and crew on board were killed.{{Cite web |date=2018-12-23 |title=L'incidente aereo di Punta Raisi, quarant'anni fa |url=https://www.ilpost.it/2018/12/23/incidente-aereo-punta-raisi/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Il Post |language=it}}
According to what was later stated by some pilots, the accident could have been caused by an optical illusion ("black hole approach") that would have drawn in error the pilots: at night, with particular weather conditions (low altitude cloud cover), runway lights can be reflected on clouds and water, giving the impression that the runway is a few hundred meters before its real location. This optical illusion could have contributed to the accident, together with inadequate lighting and the unavailability of ILS on runway 21. Non-optimal radio communication between crew and ATC introduced further uncertainty about the estimated location of the aircraft.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?regsearch=I-DIKQ JetPhotos.Net – I-DIKQ]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080525141306/http://www.montagnalonga.it/Atti_Parlamentari/Seduta_del_15_01_1979.html Gli Atti Parlamentari dell'I-DIKQ]
- [http://aviation-safety.net/investigation/cvr/transcripts/cvr_az4128.php CVR transcript]
{{McDonnell Douglas DC-9 family}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in Italy}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978}}
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Italy
Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978
Category:Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas DC-9
Category:December 1978 in Europe