Gyrocopter crash at Italian Alpine dam kills two after striking cable car lines
An ultralight gyrocopter struck cable car lines and crashed near the Campliccioli dam in northern Italy, killing both people on board during a flight from Megolo.
Collision at Campliccioli dam
A two-seater gyrocopter crashed and caught fire near the Campliccioli dam in the municipality of Antrona Schieranco, located in the Piedmont region of north-western Italy. The ultralight rotary-wing aircraft had departed from an airfield in Megolo in the Ossola valley before heading toward the mountainous border area with Switzerland. The incident occurred in the morning between 11:10 and 11:30 local time at an altitude between 1,360 and 1,400 meters above sea level. While maneuvering near Cheggio in the upper Antrona valley, the aircraft struck the overhead cables of a service cableway leading to Lake Camposecco, an Enel-owned installation closed to the public.
The impact triggered an immediate explosion and mid-air deflagration. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft turn into a ball of fire before dropping onto a steep grassy area downstream from the dam structure.
- The gyrocopter departs from an airfield in Megolo in the Ossola valley.
- The aircraft encounters low cloud cover and reduced visibility while flying near Cheggio.
- The gyrocopter collides with Enel service cableway lines and falls near the Campliccioli dam.
- Firefighters, Malpensa Drago air crews, and Alpine Rescue teams reach the crash site.
- Guardia di Finanza and regional officials begin inquiries into flight authorization and navigation.
Victims and eyewitness accounts
Both occupants aboard the aircraft died at the scene. Emergency officials identified the pilot as Alessandro Angelo Muscinelli, an engineer and businessman reported as 60 or 62 years old, who resided in Premeno. The passenger was Antonella Pagliarani, reported as 61 or 63 years old and residing in Milan, who was the partner of the pilot's brother. The pilot's brother was present in the area, witnessed the aftermath of the crash, and was treated for shock by medical personnel.
Local residents and visitors in the surrounding valley observed the smoke and flames across several kilometers. Franco Borsotti, the mayor of Antrona Schieranco, witnessed the event directly from his home.
I saw the scene from my balcony.
Emergency deployment and site recovery
Emergency rescue services mobilized ground and aerial units across the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province immediately following emergency calls. The deployment included local Vigili del Fuoco firefighters, the Drago aerial helicopter from the Malpensa fire rescue base, a 118 emergency medical helicopter dispatched from Borgosesia, and the Alpine Rescue Service of the Guardia di Finanza.
Rescuers reached the crash zone downstream of the Campliccioli reservoir to extinguish the active fire. Due to the severity of the explosion and the fall, emergency personnel could only confirm the deaths of both victims among the burned wreckage.
Weather conditions and official investigation
Initial reporting indicates that the pilot encountered poor weather conditions in the high mountain valley, specifically a low cloud ceiling that caused a sudden loss of visibility. The pilot attempted a turnaround maneuver to exit the cloud bank shortly before the rotor struck the cableway infrastructure.
Regional authorities in Piedmont stated that the aircraft was not authorized to fly in that specific sector. The Guardia di Finanza and judicial authorities opened an investigation to reconstruct the flight path and determine whether the crash resulted from an altitude miscalculation, adverse atmospheric conditions, or a mechanical defect.
