Agency Report
A pilot died after a Leonardo trainer aircraft crashed in mountains north of Italy’s Lake Como on Wednesday, the Italian aerospace and defence giant said.
Italian media reports said the victim was British. A UK embassy spokeswoman said it was “urgently seeking more information”.
The M-346 jet, intended for military pilot training, went down near the town of Colico at the lake’s northeastern side at midday.
“The cause of the accident is under investigation. Unfortunately, the rescue teams arriving at the site of the accident ascertained the loss of one of the two pilots,” said Leonardo in a statement.
The Corriere della Sera newspaper said the plane had been conducting a test before being delivered to Italy’s air force.
The two pilots ejected before the plane crashed at an altitude of about 2,500 metres (8,200 feet), it reported.
The surviving pilot, an Italian, was taken to hospital with facial trauma, the paper said.
AFP
