A Fiat Panda collided with a private jet at Milan’s Linate Airport on Monday morning, temporarily disrupting air traffic at one of Italy’s busiest airports.
The car crashed into a Hawker Beechcraft 400A private aircraft, registered as I-AERB, at around 11:20am local time. The collision caused damage to the aircraft’s radar dome and nose section.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene to assess the aircraft and check on the driver of the Fiat Panda, who remained inside the vehicle until first responders arrived.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident.
Flights diverted after airport collision
Air traffic operations at Milan Linate were temporarily suspended for approximately 30 minutes following the collision.
The disruption affected several scheduled flights, with most aircraft diverted to nearby airports while authorities dealt with the incident.
Two flights were specifically diverted. An ITA Airways flight from Rome was redirected to Bergamo, while a KLM flight was diverted to Milan-Malpensa.
Another private jet entered a holding pattern before eventually landing at Linate Airport.
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Cause of crash under investigation
The circumstances that led to the Fiat Panda colliding with the private aircraft remain unclear.
Initial reports have raised the possibility that the operator may have been distracted or could have experienced a medical issue. However, neither explanation has been officially confirmed by authorities.
Normal flight operations resumed shortly after the incident.
Authorities are expected to conduct further inspections of the damaged aircraft to determine the full extent of the structural damage and establish how the collision occurred.
