Alitalia Flight 4128

Alitalia Flight 4128
I-DIKQ, the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
Date23 December 1978 (1978-12-23)
SummaryControlled flight into water, pilot error
SiteTyrrhenian Sea, off Palermo, Italy
38°12′28″N 13°06′32″E / 38.20778°N 13.10889°E / 38.20778; 13.10889
Aircraft
Aircraft typeMcDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Aircraft nameIsola di Stromboli
OperatorAlitalia
IATA flight No.AZ4128
ICAO flight No.AZA4128
Call signALITALIA 4128
RegistrationI-DIKQ
Flight originLeonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome, Italy
DestinationPalermo International Airport, Palermo, Italy
Occupants129
Passengers124
Crew5
Fatalities108
Injuries20
Survivors21

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.

As a result of the accident, out of 129 people (between passengers and crew), 108 perished and 21 survived, rescued by nearby fishing boats. At the time of the incident, it was the second-deadliest air crash in Alitalia's history behind Alitalia Flight 112 which had crashed 6 years earlier whilst operating the same route.