Agusta Spa A109A II accident near Varese, It, November 19, 2016
On November 19, 2016 at about 1:16 pm local time, a 1985 Agusta Spa A109A II (helicopter), registered N109W, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Varese. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2016 · about 1:16 pm local time
- Place
- Varese, It · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Agusta Spa A109A II AII, built 1985 · all A109A IIs on the register
- Registration
- N109W · registry record · serial 7301
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On November 19, 2016, at 1316 universal coordinated time, an Augusta A109 A II, N109W, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while navigating near Varese, Italy. An Italian passenger was fatally injured and the Italian certificated pilot and Swiss passenger were seriously injured. The flight departed Lugano Airport (LSZA), Lugano, Switzerland, at 1312.This accident investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV) of Italy. Any further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo Via A. Benigni, 53-00156 Telephone: +39 06 82 078 229 Fax: +39 06 8273672 This report is for informational purposes only, and contains only information released by or obtained from 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
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Allison 250-C20B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: LSZA Lugano at 1:12 pm
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA17WA060.