Two people were killed when their gyrocopter struck cable car lines and burst into flames in northern Italy on Wednesday. The collision happened at around 11.30am local time (10.30am BST) in the upper Antrona Valley, on the border between Ossola and Switzerland, in the Piedmont region.
Emergency response and rescue effort
After the vehicle collided with the lines, emergency services rushed to the scene, including several helicopters. One of these was a 118 vehicle that departed from Borgosesi. The fire brigade, rescue personnel, law enforcement and the Alpine Rescue Service of the Guardia di Finanza also attended.
The aircraft struck the cable car lines of a service cableway (funivia) used by Italian energy utility Enel to access the dam. It then came down near the shores of Lake Campliccioli, on a grassy area.
Victims and investigation
A helicopter was dispatched for medical evacuation, though ultimately neither occupant of the aircraft could be saved. The two victims of the crash have been described as close family members. Video shared online shows the vehicle burst into bright red flames the moment it collided with the lines.
The deceased were travelling in a gyrocopter, a lightweight, typically two-seat recreational aircraft popular in mountainous terrain for low-altitude sightseeing flights. Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the crash, examining flight conditions and the aircraft's maintenance history.
Previous tragedy in the area
This is not the first tragic incident in the Ossola area involving cable transport. In May 2021, a cable car on the Stresa–Mottarone line, on the shores of Lake Maggiore not far from where Wednesday's crash took place, plunged to the ground after one of its support cables snapped roughly 100 meters from the summit station. That crash killed 14 people, including a nine-year-old boy who died in hospital after being airlifted with severe injuries.
