Robinson R22 accident near Sulmona, It, April 26, 2011
On April 26, 2011 at about 5:43 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered IETEC, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Sulmona. It was an aerial observation flight under non-U.S. private rules. 2 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2011 · about 5:43 pm local time
- Place
- Sulmona, Italy · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- IETEC · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On April 26, 2011, at 1743 coordinated universal time (1843 local time), a Robinson R22, Italian registration I-ETEC, was destroyed when it impacted power lines near Sulmona, L'Aquila, Italy. The pilot and the observer were fatally injured. The flight, which departed an airstrip in Corchiano, Lazio, Italy, destined for a helipad in Sulmona, was operating under Italian flight regulations. According to Italian authorities, the crew was inspecting pipelines in a mountainous area when the helicopter hit the power lines, then impacted the ground. The accident investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of Italy. Further information may be obtained from: Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurrezza del Volo (ANSV) Via Attilio Benigni, 53 00156 Roma, Italia Phone: (39) 06 8207 8219 Fax: (39) 06 8273 672 Safety.info@ansv.it This report is for informational purposes, and only contains information released by the government of Italy.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
Pilot
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Corchiano
- Destination: NONE Sulmona
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.