A near-tragedy occurred in Pavia on the Ticino river on Sunday morning: a seaplane, during the Trofeo Battellieri Colombo, overturned and crashed into a barge where dozens of spectators were present.
Seaplane overturns on Ticino
Moments of tension on Ticino riveron the morning of Sunday 16 June 2024, when a seaplane overturned after crashing into a barge, at risk of sinking. The accident occurred in the closing stages of the seventh Battellieri Colombo Trophy of Paviaan event organized in memory of Nerino Bressan, Livio Nardin and Luigi Mella.
51 year old injured
There were on board the aircraft the pilot and his wife, who managed to jump out of the seaplane in time. The woman, a 51 year oldwas rescued by the 118 health workers and transported to the emergency room of the San Matteo hospital in Pavia, where she underwent tests for suspected foot fracture.
Engine failure or poorly positioned buoy
The accident occurred around 12.30pm, during the ditching of two seaplanes of the Italian Maritime Aviation left from Cizzago, in the Brescia area. After gliding near the seaplane base, the aircraft began to ascend the current heading towards the floating barge of Battellieri Colombo. It was at this moment that one of the two aircraft overturned.
The causes of the accident could be attributed to an engine failure or a poorly positioned buoy. The seaplane, in fact, reported significant damage to one of the wingsbut fortunately the pilot and his wife managed to save themselves before the situation worsened.
The dozens of spectators present on the barge at the time of the crash, fortunately they reported no consequences.
(Photo: Alex Venerito)
