Description

On 8th October 2001, a Boeing MD-87 being operated by SAS and departing Milan Linate on a scheduled passenger flight to Copenhagen in thick fog in daylight collided at high speed with a German-operated Cessna Citation taxiing for departure on a non scheduled passenger flight from Paris Le Bourget. The MD-87 failed to get airborne and continued along the ground until it impacted, still at high speed, a ground handling building. Both aircraft caught fire and were destroyed. All 114 occupants of both aircraft and 4 personnel on the ground, were killed.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (Italy) (ANSV). It was found that, unknown to ATC because of the prevailing thick fog, the Cessna had failed to follow the taxi clearance issued and correctly acknowledged and had eventually entered the active runway after crossing a lit red stop bar just as the departing MD-87 was reaching VR at the same point. The Investigation was unable to find any evidence that either of the Cessna pilots was trained or authorised to operate a public transport flight departure in the prevailing low visibility. The majority of the investigation concentrated on documenting the widespread organisational failings which, although they had not been the direct cause of the accident and its aftermath, it was concluded had facilitated the accident scenario.