Alitalia Flight 4128

Alitalia Flight 4128
Accident
I-DIKQ, the aircraft involved in the accident.
Date	23 December 1978
Summary	Controlled flight into water, pilot error
Site	Tyrrhenian Sea, off Palermo, Italy 38°12′28″N 13°06′32″E / 38.20778°N 13.10889°E / 38.20778; 13.10889
Aircraft
Aircraft type	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Aircraft name	Isola di Stromboli
Operator	Alitalia
Registration	I-DIKQ
Flight origin	Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome, Italy
Destination	Palermo International Airport, Palermo, Italy
Occupants	129
Passengers	124
Crew	5
Fatalities	108^[1]
Injuries	21
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 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Palermo while on approach. 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 2 miles (3.2 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 150 knots (280 km/h; 170 mph); then, because of the wind, the aircraft lost its final altitude and impacted the water with its right wing.

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.

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.

As a result of the accident, out of 129 people (between passengers and crew), 108 perished and 21 survived, rescued by nearby fishing boats.^[1] It is the second-deadliest air crash in Alitalia's history behind Alitalia Flight 112 which had crashed 6 years prior.

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References

^ ^a ^b Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 I-DIKQ Palermo". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 13 October 2017.

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v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Italy
Before 1900	Francesco Zambeccari (September 1812)
1900s-1940s	Jorge Chávez (September 1910) Verona Caproni Ca.48 crash (August 1919) Dixmude (December 1923) 1945 Avro York crash (February 1945) Superga air disaster (May 1949)
1950s	BOAC Flight 115 (October 1952) Mediterranean Sea mid-air collision (January 1953) BOAC Flight 781 (January 1954) South African Airways Flight 201 (April 1954) Sabena Flight 503 (February 1955) British European Airways Flight 142 (October 1958) TWA Flight 891 (June 1959)
1970s	RAF Hercules crash (November 1971) Alitalia Flight 112 (May 1972) Argo 16 (November 1973) Rome airport attacks and hijacking (December 1973) Alitalia Flight 4128 (December 1978) Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 12 (September 1979)
1980s	Itavia Flight 870 (June 1980) Aero Trasporti Italiani Flight 460 (October 1987) Uganda Airlines Flight 775 (October 1988)
1990s	Italian Air Force MB-326 crash (December 1990) Banat Air Flight 166 (December 1995) Air Littoral Flight 701 (July 1997) Cavalese cable car crash (February 1998)
2000s	Linate Airport disaster (October 2001) Pirelli Tower crash (April 2002) Tuninter Flight 1153 (August 2005) Air Algérie Flight 2208 (August 2006)
2010s	ASL Airlines Hungary Flight 7332 (August 2016)