Police investigate the deaths of a father-daughter flying duo after their ultralight aircraft goes down in flames

 ALESSANDRIA - An investigation will be opened into the crash of an ultralight aircraft that occurred in the Vercelli area on Sunday, writes Il Fatto Quotidiano. The crash claimed the lives of both people on board: 49-year-old Massimiliano Monticone, a former Air Force officer and radar operator for ENAV at Milan Linate, and his 18-year-old daughter Simona, who had inherited her father's passion for flying.

 Prosecutor Maria Giovanna Compare of the Vercelli public prosecutor’s office will lead the investigation. Potential charges include involuntary manslaughter or negligent aviation disaster. The key question will be determining the cause of the crash, whether it was due to mechanical failure or human error.

 Meanwhile, the bodies were transported to San Andrea Hospital in Vercelli, where autopsies will be performed to gain further insight into what happened. Examinations and inspections have also been ordered on the wreckage of the ultralight aircraft.

 Residents of Alessandria, the father and daughter had taken off from the Palli Aeroclub in Casale Monferrato, a frequent starting point for their flights. Speaking to the newspaper La Voce, the president of the Aeroclub, Giancarlo Panelli, said he had authorized the flight.

 “Even without a control tower, Massimiliano was meticulous. He was a well-liked person and an integral part of our association,” he said, adding that “for ultralight aircraft, a flight plan is no longer mandatory. You just need to notify the relevant authorities and maintain radio contact.”

 However, something went wrong shortly after takeoff, resulting in the crash in a rice field between the towns of Crescentino and Livorno Ferraris, where the aircraft caught fire. Some witnesses reported seeing the aircraft lose altitude before crashing and bursting into flames. All rescue efforts for the man and the young woman were in vain.

 The city of Alessandria, home to the Monticone family, expressed its condolences. The family lived in the San Michele district and was well known in the community. Massimiliano’s father, Giuseppe Monticone, is a spokesperson for the Flood Victims Committee and founder of the Facebook page ‘Wake Up Alessandria’. During the ‘Alessandrian New Year’, the city’s end-of-summer celebration, the traditional noon toast was cancelled. Instead, a minute of silence will be held at midnight as a sign of respect while investigations continue into the events that unfolded in the skies over Vercelli.

 Virtus Alessandria Volleyball also expressed sorrow over the death of 18-year-old Simona, a student at the Eco linguistic high school and a libero player in the First Division. “Always smiling, always available, on and off the court,” the club wrote on Facebook. “This is what we’ll remember her by.”

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