Alitalia Flight 112
An Alitalia Douglas DC-8-43 similar to the one of Flight 112 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 May 1972 |
| Summary | Disputed:
|
| Site | Mount Longa, near Palermo, Italy 38°07′23″N 13°08′53″E / 38.12306°N 13.14806°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-8-43 |
| Aircraft name | Antonio Pigafetta |
| Operator | Alitalia |
| IATA flight No. | AZ112 |
| ICAO flight No. | AZA112 |
| Call sign | ALITALIA 112 |
| Registration | I-DIWB |
| Flight origin | Fiumicino – Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, Rome, Italy |
| Destination | Falcone–Borsellino Airport, Palermo, Italy |
| Occupants | 115 |
| Passengers | 108 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 115 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Alitalia Flight 112 was a scheduled flight from Leonardo da Vinci Airport, in Rome, Italy, to Palermo International Airport in Palermo, Italy, with 115 on board. On 5 May 1972, it crashed into Mount Longa, about 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Palermo while on approach to the airport, killing all 115 passengers and crew onboard. Investigators believe that the crew had three miles visibility and did not adhere to the established vectors issued by air traffic control, while according to an independent investigation the accident was caused by an explosion on board.
It remains the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in Italy, and the second-deadliest behind the 2001 Linate Airport runway collision. The accident is the worst in Alitalia's history.