The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
Si Fly ATR 42 on UN Flight Crashes in Kosovo
On November 12, ATR 42 belonging to the Italian airline Si Fly, went lost strucking a mountain side some miles North of Pristina, Kosovo chief town. In the crash, all people on-board were killed: two flight crew members, one stewardess and twenty-one passengers, nine of them of Italian nationality; they were members of various umanitarian organizations active in the Balkan province for support and recovery after the recent war.
The Si Fly aircraft was chartered by the World Food Program, United Nations Organization agency engaged to provide starved population in Kosovo with food. The ATR 42 was flying non-stop to Pristina after departing from Rome/Ciampino airport at 09.11 AM that morning.
Si Fly, a start-up regional carrier with head-office in Palermo, Sicily, began its activity some months ago using its single ATR 42 (a second one being on order) for charter flights to Tunisie. From October 1st, a domestic scheduled service was set-up from Rome/Ciampino to Albenga and regular flights to Perugia and Ancona were added, starting October 18.
A technical commission formed by French and Italian government agencies is investigating the cause of the accident. A day before, it was announced that US president Mr.Clinton was planning a short-notice visit to Kosovo, in the near future.
In the picture: Si Fly ATR 42 F-OHFV, lost near Pristina (Kosovo) on November 12.
(Aeromedia, November 1999)