Linate Airport disaster
Encyclopedia
The Linate Airport disaster occurred on 8 October 2001 at Linate Airport
in Milan
, Italy
, when Scandinavian Airlines
Flight 686, a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 airliner carrying 110 people bound for Copenhagen
, Denmark
, collided on take-off with a Cessna Citation CJ2 business jet carrying four people bound for Paris
, France
. All 114 people on board the two aircraft were killed, as were four on the ground. A further four people on the ground were injured.
The accident occurred in thick fog
, with visibility reduced to less than 200 metres (656 ft).
The Cessna Citation was instructed to taxi from the western apron along the northern taxiway
(taxiway R5), and then via the northern apron to the main taxiway which runs parallel to the main runway, a route that would have kept it clear of the main runway. Instead, the pilot taxied along the southern taxi route (taxiway R6), crossing the main runway toward the main taxiway which lay beyond it (see diagram).
At 08:09:28, the SAS MD-87 was given clearance by a different controller to take off from runway 36R. Fifty-three seconds later, the SAS aircraft, traveling at about 270 km/h (137.8 kn; 167.8 mph), collided with the Cessna. All four in the Cessna were killed on impact. The MD-87 lost its right engine; the pilot, Joakim Gustafsson from Sweden, attempted to take off, reaching an altitude of approximately 12 metres (39.4 ft). The remaining engine lost some thrust due to debris ingestion, and the plane, having lost the starboard landing gear, came down. Gustafsson applied thrust reverser and brakes, and tried to guide the plane through its control surfaces. The maneuver was judged so skillful that it is now incorporated into SAS technical manuals. All this was, however, insufficient to halt the jet's momentum, and it crashed into a luggage hangar located near the runway's end, at a speed of approximately 251 km/h (128.1 kn; 156 mph). In the impact, all the MD-87's crew and passengers were killed. The crash and subsequent fire killed four Italian ground personnel in the hangar, and injured four more.
Of the occupants of the SAS aircraft, 54 (46%), mainly in the back of the aircraft, suffered severe burns; their bodies were identified using forensic dentistry
or DNA
records. Those in the front of the aircraft suffered severe blunt trauma
.
and the day after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan
began, but SAS was quick to rule out a terrorist attack as the cause. This was subsequently confirmed by the investigations that followed.
The accident was investigated by the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo
(ANSV). Its final report was published on 20 January 2004, and concluded that the "immediate cause" of the accident was the incursion of the Cessna aircraft on to the active runway. However, the ANSV stopped short of placing the blame unequivocally on the Cessna pilots, its report having identified a number of deficiencies in the airport layout and procedures.
Linate Airport was operating without a functioning ground radar
system at the time, despite having had a system delivered some years beforehand, which had not been fully installed. The new system finally came online a few months later. Guidance signs along the taxiways were later found not to meet regulations; after mistakenly turning onto the R6 taxiway that led to the runway, there were no signs by which the Cessna pilots could recognize where they were. When they stopped at a taxiway stop-marking and correctly reported its identifier (S4), the ground controller disregarded this identification because it was not on his maps and was unknown to him. Furthermore, neither pilot of the Cessna was certified for landings with visibility less than 550 metres (1,804 ft), but had landed at the airport anyway a few minutes before the disaster.
On 16 April 2004, a Milan court found four persons guilty for the disaster. Airport director Vincenzo Fusco and air-traffic controller Paolo Zacchetti were both sentenced to eight years in prison; sentences of six and a half years were given to Sandro Gualano, former head of the air traffic controllers' agency, and Francesco Federico, former head of the airport. In the appeal trial (7 July 2006), Fusco and Federico were discharged. Another four people were sentenced. The pardon
law issued by the Italian Parliament on 29 July 2006 reduced all convictions by three years. On 20 February 2007 the Corte di Cassazione upheld the decision of the Appeal Court.
The victims included nationals of nine different countries. Most of the victims were Italian and Scandinavian. One passenger listed as a Briton by SAS held United Kingdom and United States citizenships.
Four memorial services were held in honor of the SAS victims. On 12 October 2001 three separate ceremonies were held, with one in Denmark, one in Norway, and one in Sweden. On 13 October 2001 a fourth ceremony was held in Italy.
In March 2002 a forest containing 118 beech
es called Bosco dei Faggi was inaugurated as a memorial to the victims in the Forlanini Park near the airport. A sculpture by the Swedish artist Christer Bording donated by SAS, called Infinity Pain, was placed in the centre of the forest.
The disaster devastated the Swedish go-kart
community as some of the country's most promising young drivers were on the flight after having attended an event in Milan
. After the disaster, the Swedish national motorsports club started a memorial fund together with some of the relatives. The fund awards annual stipends to promising Swedish youth in go-kart.
Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo
Linate Airport
Linate Airport is one of the three major airports of Milan, Italy, along with Malpensa Airport and Orio al Serio Airport. Due to its closer proximity to Milan—it is east southeast of the city, compared with Malpensa, which is northwest of the city—it is mainly used for domestic and short-haul...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, when Scandinavian Airlines
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
Flight 686, a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 airliner carrying 110 people bound for Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, collided on take-off with a Cessna Citation CJ2 business jet carrying four people bound for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. All 114 people on board the two aircraft were killed, as were four on the ground. A further four people on the ground were injured.
Accident
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
, with visibility reduced to less than 200 metres (656 ft).
The Cessna Citation was instructed to taxi from the western apron along the northern taxiway
Taxiway
A taxiway is a path on an airport connecting runways with ramps, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller airports sometimes use gravel or grass....
(taxiway R5), and then via the northern apron to the main taxiway which runs parallel to the main runway, a route that would have kept it clear of the main runway. Instead, the pilot taxied along the southern taxi route (taxiway R6), crossing the main runway toward the main taxiway which lay beyond it (see diagram).
At 08:09:28, the SAS MD-87 was given clearance by a different controller to take off from runway 36R. Fifty-three seconds later, the SAS aircraft, traveling at about 270 km/h (137.8 kn; 167.8 mph), collided with the Cessna. All four in the Cessna were killed on impact. The MD-87 lost its right engine; the pilot, Joakim Gustafsson from Sweden, attempted to take off, reaching an altitude of approximately 12 metres (39.4 ft). The remaining engine lost some thrust due to debris ingestion, and the plane, having lost the starboard landing gear, came down. Gustafsson applied thrust reverser and brakes, and tried to guide the plane through its control surfaces. The maneuver was judged so skillful that it is now incorporated into SAS technical manuals. All this was, however, insufficient to halt the jet's momentum, and it crashed into a luggage hangar located near the runway's end, at a speed of approximately 251 km/h (128.1 kn; 156 mph). In the impact, all the MD-87's crew and passengers were killed. The crash and subsequent fire killed four Italian ground personnel in the hangar, and injured four more.
Of the occupants of the SAS aircraft, 54 (46%), mainly in the back of the aircraft, suffered severe burns; their bodies were identified using forensic dentistry
Forensic Dentistry
Forensic dentistry or forensic odontology is the proper handling, examination and evaluation of dental evidence, which will be then presented in the interest of justice. The evidence that may be derived from teeth, is the age and identification of the person to whom the teeth belong...
or DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
records. Those in the front of the aircraft suffered severe blunt trauma
Blunt trauma
In medical terminology, blunt trauma, blunt injury, non-penetrating trauma or blunt force trauma refers to a type of physical trauma caused to a body part, either by impact, injury or physical attack; the latter usually being referred to as blunt force trauma...
.
Causes
The accident occurred less than a month after the 11 September 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
and the day after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
began, but SAS was quick to rule out a terrorist attack as the cause. This was subsequently confirmed by the investigations that followed.
The accident was investigated by the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo
Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo
Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo is the Italian aircraft accident investigation agency. The ANSV is headquartered in Rome.-See also:*Air safety*Linate Airport disaster*Tuninter Flight 1153...
(ANSV). Its final report was published on 20 January 2004, and concluded that the "immediate cause" of the accident was the incursion of the Cessna aircraft on to the active runway. However, the ANSV stopped short of placing the blame unequivocally on the Cessna pilots, its report having identified a number of deficiencies in the airport layout and procedures.
Linate Airport was operating without a functioning ground radar
Surface movement radar
Surface Movement Radar is used to detect aircraft and vehicles on the surface of an airport. It is used by air traffic controllers to supplement visual observations. It may also be used at night time and during low visibility to monitor the movement of aircraft and vehicles...
system at the time, despite having had a system delivered some years beforehand, which had not been fully installed. The new system finally came online a few months later. Guidance signs along the taxiways were later found not to meet regulations; after mistakenly turning onto the R6 taxiway that led to the runway, there were no signs by which the Cessna pilots could recognize where they were. When they stopped at a taxiway stop-marking and correctly reported its identifier (S4), the ground controller disregarded this identification because it was not on his maps and was unknown to him. Furthermore, neither pilot of the Cessna was certified for landings with visibility less than 550 metres (1,804 ft), but had landed at the airport anyway a few minutes before the disaster.
On 16 April 2004, a Milan court found four persons guilty for the disaster. Airport director Vincenzo Fusco and air-traffic controller Paolo Zacchetti were both sentenced to eight years in prison; sentences of six and a half years were given to Sandro Gualano, former head of the air traffic controllers' agency, and Francesco Federico, former head of the airport. In the appeal trial (7 July 2006), Fusco and Federico were discharged. Another four people were sentenced. The pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
law issued by the Italian Parliament on 29 July 2006 reduced all convictions by three years. On 20 February 2007 the Corte di Cassazione upheld the decision of the Appeal Court.
Victims
| Nationality | SAS 686 | Cessna | Ground | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | Crew | Passengers | Crew | |||
| 16 | 3 | — | — | — | 19 | |
| 6 | – | — | — | — | 6 | |
| — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | |
| 58 | — | 2 | — | 4 | 64 | |
| 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
| 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
| 17 | 3 | — | — | — | 20 | |
| 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
| Total | 104 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 118 |
The victims included nationals of nine different countries. Most of the victims were Italian and Scandinavian. One passenger listed as a Briton by SAS held United Kingdom and United States citizenships.
In March 2002 a forest containing 118 beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
es called Bosco dei Faggi was inaugurated as a memorial to the victims in the Forlanini Park near the airport. A sculpture by the Swedish artist Christer Bording donated by SAS, called Infinity Pain, was placed in the centre of the forest.
The disaster devastated the Swedish go-kart
Go-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
community as some of the country's most promising young drivers were on the flight after having attended an event in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
. After the disaster, the Swedish national motorsports club started a memorial fund together with some of the relatives. The fund awards annual stipends to promising Swedish youth in go-kart.
See also
- Tenerife airport disaster, a 1977 runway collision that claimed the lives of 583 people
- USAir Flight 1493USAir Flight 1493USAir Flight 1493 was a scheduled United States domestic passenger flight from Syracuse Hancock International Airport, New York to San Francisco International Airport, California that collided with SkyWest Flight 5569 upon landing at a scheduled stopover at Los Angeles International Airport...
, a runway collision at LAX that killed 34 people - 2005 Logan Airport runway incursion, a near-collision on the runway at Boston
- Lists of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners
Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del VoloAgenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del VoloAgenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo is the Italian aircraft accident investigation agency. The ANSV is headquartered in Rome.-See also:*Air safety*Linate Airport disaster*Tuninter Flight 1153...
- Milano Linate, ground collision between Boeing MD-87, registration SE-DMA and Cessna 525-A, registration D-IEVX
- Milano Linate, collisione a terra tra Boeing MD-87, marche SE-DMA e Cessna 525-A, marche D-IEVX (Archive)
Scandinavian Airlines
- Regarding Scandinavian Airlines flight SK 686 (1)
- Regarding Scandinavian Airlines flight SK 686 (2)
- Statement on Accident SK 686 Routed Milan – Copenhagen (3)
- Information about SK 686 Milan – Copenhagen Accident (4)
- Passenger and Crew List Scandinavian Airlines Flight SK 686 (5)
- Press Conference regarding flight SK 686 (6)
- Information about SK 686 Milan – Copenhagen Accident (7)
- SK686 Update: Nationality Distribution (8)
- Memorial Service for the casualties in Milan (9)
Other
- Scandinavian Association for SK686, 8th of October 2001
- Skandinavisk förening för SK686, 8 oktober 2001
- Committee and Foundation 8 October 2001
- Comitato 8 Ottobre per non dimenticare
- Looking back at Linate
- Italian TV report about the Linate Airport disaster , Rai DueRai DueRai 2 is one of the three main television channels broadcast by Italian public television company RAI alongside with Rai 1 and Rai 3. Rai 2 first started transmissions on November 4, 1961...
- Photographs of the accident