Alitalia Flight 4128

Alitalia Flight 4128

I-DIKQ, the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
Date	23 December 1978 (1978-12-23)
Summary	Controlled flight into water, pilot error
Site	Tyrrhenian Sea, off Palermo, Italy 38°12′28″N13°06′32″E / 38.20778°N 13.10889°E / 38.20778; 13.10889
Aircraft
Aircraft type	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Aircraft name	Isola di Stromboli
Operator	Alitalia
IATA flight No.	AZ4128
ICAO flight No.	AZA4128
Call sign	ALITALIA 4128
Registration	I-DIKQ
Flight origin	Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Rome, Italy
Destination	Palermo International Airport, Palermo, Italy
Occupants	129
Passengers	124
Crew	5
Fatalities	108 [1]
Injuries	20
Survivors	21

Alitalia Flight 4128 was a scheduled flight from Leonardo da Vinci Airport, in Rome, Italy, to Palermo International Airport in Palermo, Italy, with 129 on board. On 23 December 1978, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea about 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Palermo while on approach.

As a result of the accident, out of 129 people (between passengers and crew), 108 perished and 21 survived, rescued by nearby fishing boats. ^[1] At the time of the incident, it was the second-deadliest air crash in Alitalia's history behind Alitalia Flight 112 which had crashed 6 years earlier whilst operating the same route.

Cause

The accident was attributed to the flight deck crew believing they were nearer to the runway than they were, and therefore making a premature descent. The initial part of the approach was instrumental until the flight was 2 miles (3.2 km) from Palermo International Airport. The crew then stopped the descent at 150 feet (46 m) above the sea, as though trying to locate the final approach area, thinking they were close to the runway because of the airport lights. In the final nine seconds, the aircraft flew almost level with the sea at 150 knots (280 km/h; 170 mph); then, because of the wind, the aircraft lost its final altitude and impacted the water with its right wing. 108 of the 129 passengers and crew on board were killed. ^[2]

According to what was later stated by some pilots, the accident could have been caused by an optical illusion ("black hole approach") that would have drawn in error the pilots: at night, with particular weather conditions (low altitude cloud cover), runway lights can be reflected on clouds and water, giving the impression that the runway is a few hundred meters before its real location. This optical illusion could have contributed to the accident, together with inadequate lighting and the unavailability of ILS on runway 21. Non-optimal radio communication between crew and ATC introduced further uncertainty about the estimated location of the aircraft.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 I-DIKQ Palermo". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
2. "L'incidente aereo di Punta Raisi, quarant'anni fa". Il Post (in Italian). 23 December 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2025.

External links

• JetPhotos.Net – I-DIKQ
• Gli Atti Parlamentari dell'I-DIKQ
• CVR transcript