Investigation Summary
Flight IH897 was a scheduled domestic service operating from Cagliari to Turin with an intermediate stop in Bologna. During the final approach to runway 36 at Turin Caselle Airport, the region was experiencing poor visibility due to fog and snowfall. The Runway Visual Range (RVR) was reported at 900 meters. The flight crew failed to maintain a safe altitude during the approach, leading to an impact with obstacles in the flight path. The aircraft first clipped a tree and then struck a building under construction, which caused it to flip and crash in flames. Despite the severity of the impact and the resulting fire, one crew member and three passengers were rescued from the wreckage.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was the flight crew's failure to realize the aircraft was at an insufficient altitude during the final approach in marginal weather. Contributing factors included limited visibility caused by fog and snow, which likely hindered the crew's ability to maintain visual reference with the ground during the descent.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Altimeter
Used by the crew to monitor altitude during the approach; the investigation found the crew failed to recognize they were below the safe glide path.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Fokker F28 Fellowship 1000 manufactured in 1969.
- 02At the time of the accident, the Runway Visual Range (RVR) for runway 36 was 900 meters.
- 03The crash occurred approximately 3.7 kilometers short of the runway threshold.
- 04Four individuals survived the crash: one crew member and three passengers.
- 05The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the geocoded place name.