Fokker F-27 Friendship 200 – I-ATIP

Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 16 April 1972

Aircraft Type: Fokker F-27 Friendship 200

Owner/operator: Aero Trasporti Italiani – ATI

Registration Number: I-ATIP

Location: near Ardinello di Amaseno – ÿ Italy

Phase of Flight: En route

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18

Component Affected: Flight Control System (specifically, the aircraft’s ability to maintain stable attitudes and airspeed during periods of turbulence).Flight Control System (specifically, the aircraft’s ability to maintain stable attitudes and airspeed during periods of turbulence).

Category: Accident

A Fokker F-27 Friendship flight 392 crashed near Ardinello di Amaseno, Italy, resulting in the loss of all 18 occupants. The flight was cleared for takeoff from Roma-Fiumicino (FCO) to Foggia (FOG) and subsequently lost control near the specified location. Immediately after takeoff, the crew contacted the Rome Departure controller, who confirmed the en route clearance and instructed the flight to contact Pratica di Mare. The flight then transitioned to Rome-Control, reporting FL65 for FL110 and indicating problems with Pratica. At 22:05, the flight contacted Rome Departure again, reporting FL100 and estimating Latina at 22:10. Approximately 3 minutes later, the pilot reported reaching FL150, and the crew was instructed to switch frequencies to Teano. The aircraft then entered an area of poor weather with local thunderstorm activity, leading to a sudden loss of altitude and airspeed. The aircraft descended rapidly, striking the ground at 340 knots, with a 20-degree angle of descent. The incident was likely triggered by a combination of factors, including sudden turbulence, downdrafts, and the aircraft’s response to these conditions, exacerbated by the aircraft’s stress during the critical flight phase.A Fokker F-27 Friendship flight 392 crashed near Ardinello di Amaseno, Italy, resulting in the loss of all 18 occupants. The flight was cleared for takeoff from Roma-Fiumicino (FCO) to Foggia (FOG) and subsequently lost control near the specified location. Immediately after takeoff, the crew contacted the Rome Departure controller, who confirmed the en route clearance and instructed the flight to contact Pratica di Mare. The flight then transitioned to Rome-Control, reporting FL65 for FL110 and indicating problems with Pratica. At 22:05, the flight contacted Rome Departure again, reporting FL100 and estimating Latina at 22:10. Approximately 3 minutes later, the pilot reported reaching FL150, and the crew was instructed to switch frequencies to Teano. The aircraft then entered an area of poor weather with local thunderstorm activity, leading to a sudden loss of altitude and airspeed. The aircraft descended rapidly, striking the ground at 340 knots, with a 20-degree angle of descent. The incident was likely triggered by a combination of factors, including sudden turbulence, downdrafts, and the aircraft’s response to these conditions, exacerbated by the aircraft’s stress during the critical flight phase.

Description

ATI flight 392, a Fokker F-27 Friendship, crashed following a loss of control near Ardinello di Amaseno, Italy, killing all 18 occupants. Flight BM392 was a scheduled service from Roma-Fiumicino (FCO) to Foggia (FOG). The flight was cleared for takeoff from runway 16 and takeoff was accomplished at 21:56. Immediately after takeoff the crew contacted the Rome Departure controller. The controller confirmed the en route clearance via Pratica, Latina and Teano. He then instructed the flight crew to contact Pratica di Mare. The crew was not able to contact the air traffic controller at Pratica di Mare. At 22:00 the flight contacted Rome Departure again. They reported leaving FL65 for FL110 and noted their problems of contacting Pratica. They were then instructed to call Rome-Control (Terminal Sector South). At 22:04 flight 392 contacted the Terminal Sector South controller and reported at FL100, estimating Latina at 22:10. At 22:05 the flight was cleared to climb to FL150, following the specific request of the pilot. The F-27 was also cleared for a direct route to Teano, skipping Latina. Three minutes later the pilot reported passing FL135 and the crew were instructed to switch frequencies to Teano. Nothing more was heard from the flight. By then the flight entered an area of poor weather with local thunderstorm activity. The aircraft had almost reached FL150 when it suddenly lost 1200 ft of altitude and the airspeed dropped 30 knots. This developed into phugoid oscillations from which the pilots were not able to recover. The airplane entered a descent and struck the ground at 340 knots at an angle of 20 degrees. PROBABLE CAUSES: “The Commission does not have sufficient evidence to determine the certain or probable cause of the accident. However, based on the information from the flight recorder and all conducted investigations, it reasonably hypothesizes that, shortly after reaching the cruise level FL 150, the aircraft suddenly entered an area characterized by strong turbulence and significant downdrafts, which may have led to or coincided with an event or condition that caused abnormal attitudes of the aircraft and/or significant damage to it, even if not identifiable, primarily affecting the flight control system. Meteorological factors alone are ruled out as being able to directly cause the aircraft’s fall. There are also no elements to suggest a contributing cause attributable to pilot error, while there are doubts about the pilots’ ability to maintain the necessary psycho-physical capacity to control the aircraft during the critical phase of flight, due to the particular stresses they were under.”

Primary Cause

Sudden turbulence and downdrafts, potentially exacerbated by the aircraft’s response to the challenging weather conditions, likely caused the aircraft to lose altitude and airspeed rapidly, leading to the catastrophic descent and ground impact.Sudden turbulence and downdrafts, potentially exacerbated by the aircraft’s response to the challenging weather conditions, likely caused the aircraft to lose altitude and airspeed rapidly, leading to the catastrophic descent and ground impact.

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