2 Italian Air Force personnel killed in training plane crash

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Two Italian Air Force service members were killed Wednesday when a training aircraft crashed near the town of Sabaudia, south of Rome, officials and local media reported.

According to Italy’s ANSA news agency, a single-engine T-260B aircraft belonging to the 70th Wing based in Latina went down during a training exercise over the Circeo National Park, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the capital.

Rescue teams who reached the scene found the wreckage engulfed in flames and recovered the bodies of the two personnel on board. The crash occurred close to one of the park’s entrances, in a forested area where no civilians were present at the time.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed condolences following the accident, writing on the US social media company X: “I extend my deepest sympathies for the crash of an Italian Air Force plane near Circeo National Park. My thoughts and those of the government are with the families of the victims, the Air Force, and the entire Defense Ministry.”

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also voiced his sorrow, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of the two airmen and offering condolences to their families.

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, according to authorities.