Two lawyers who went missing after their plane disappeared shortly after take-off have been found dead, embracing each other inside the cockpit. Carlo Arnulfo and Angela Buccico were found yesterday morning after three days of relentless searches by land, sea and air in Italy.
Plane Located After Tip-Off
The ultralight Tecnam P2008 aircraft was located in a remote area of woodland after a tip-off led rescuers to the exact location. The witness had seen the aircraft flying at low altitude near her home in the Laghicello area of Fuscaldo – information that only emerged on the third evening of the search. An Italian Air Force helicopter carrying rescuers then spotted a white fragment among the trees, followed by a larger piece.
The rescuers were lowered by winch from a height of 45m (148ft) and followed the trail of debris to the impact site, where they found the aircraft almost completely burned out, indicating that it had caught fire on impact. There was nothing more that could be done for the two lawyers, whose burned bodies were found embracing inside the cockpit. Ground teams later arrived at the scene to secure the area and recover the bodies.
Investigation and Black Box Analysis
The aircraft's black box will be one of the key elements of the investigation, alongside the recovery of all the debris scattered around the crash site. Investigators will attempt to use the recorded data to reconstruct the aircraft's altitude, speed and trajectory during the final minutes of the flight, and establish whether there was an attempt to correct its course or a sudden loss of control.
The aircraft was supposed to fly from the airfield at Capo d'Orlando, Sicily, to the Sibari airfield in Cassano allo Ionio, Calabria – a route that partly crosses mountainous terrain – on Sunday morning. Investigators will have to establish if the weather and terrain along the mountainous stretch played a role in the crash.
Victims' Backgrounds
Carlo, 64, was at the controls of the Tecnam P2008 when it crashed. He had more than 30 years' experience as a pilot. A highly regarded criminal and civil lawyer whose clients included celebrities and politicians, he had been a member of the Rome Bar since 1991. He and Angela, 55, were on their way to her seaside home at the time.
Angela worked at Studio Legale Buccico, founded in Matera in 1947 by her grandfather Rocco, specialising mainly in civil law. She was particularly involved with the firm's Rome office and was also a member of the teaching staff at the School of Advanced Legal Training. Her father, Emilio Nicola Buccico, served as president of the Matera Bar Association and the National Bar Council, as a lay member of the High Council of the Judiciary, as a senator and as mayor of Matera. Her brother, Rocco Michele, is Matera's current deputy mayor.
Prosecutors intend to appoint a technical expert to establish any potential liability through negligence.
