On Friday 28 January, the wreckage of the touring aircraft that had crashed the previous day in a rugged location near Mount Foria, between the Marche and Umbria regions, was found by an Italian Air Force HH-3F helicopter
The searches, conducted both on the ground and in the air with rescue vehicles and teams from various institutions (Italian Air Force, Carabinieri, Fire Brigade, State Forestry Corps and Alpine Rescue), had immediately proven very difficult due to the adverse weather conditions at the time and the abundant amount of snow that had already fallen on the area.
The rescue mission was coordinated by the Air Operations Command of Poggio Renatico (Ferrara) which, based on the available information and the type of operation to be carried out, ordered the takeoff of an HH-3F helicopter from the 15th CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) Wing of Cervia. The Italian Air Force crew, trained to operate in weather conditions of this type and capable of operating even at night thanks to the aid of special night vision goggles (NVGs), reached the operational area and found the wreckage, which was already covered by a few centimetres of snow.
The 15th Wing, with its Groups/Centres, guarantees search and rescue for flight crews in distress 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It also contributes to public utility activities such as searching for missing persons at sea or in mountains, emergency medical transport of critically ill patients, and rescue of seriously injured individuals. Since its establishment, the 15th Wing has saved approximately 7,000 people from life-threatening situations.
