The T-260B fundamental coach, assigned to the seventieth Wing, crashed in a nationwide park southeast of Rome.
A T-260B fundamental coach of the Italian Air Pressure crashed within the morning of Oct. 1, 2025, within the Circeo nationwide park close to Sabaudia, about 70 km southeast of Rome. The plane was assigned to the seventieth Wing at Latina Air Base, which is chargeable for deciding on and coaching future pilots of the Italian Air Pressure, different nationwide armed and safety forces, in addition to cadets from overseas militaries.
The service and the Ministry of Protection confirmed that each crew members misplaced their lives within the crash. The Air Pressure recognized them as Colonel Simone Mettini, flight teacher and Commander of the seventieth Wing, and pupil pilot Lorenzo Nucheli.
Parco Nazionale del #Circeo, questa mattina un velivolo T-260B del 70° Stormo di Latina, durante una missione addestrativa è precipitato al suolo, per trigger al momento non word.Sul posto sono intervenute immediatamente le squadre di soccorso. pic.twitter.com/S9Ax3vOjyn
— Aeronautica Militare (@ItalianAirForce) October 1, 2025
The plane was flying a routine coaching mission within the morning when the mishap occurred. An HH-139B of the eighty fifth CSAR Heart from Pratica di Mare and an AW139 of the Vigili del Fuoco have been dispatched to the world to help within the Search and Rescue effort.
The causes of the crash usually are not but recognized, and an investigation has been launched to find what occurred.
“Si cube che un pilota non muore mai, vola solo più in alto, ma non posso nascondere il profondo dolore per la notizia della tragica scomparsa del Colonnello Simone Mettini, Comandante di Stormo ed esperto pilota istruttore, e del giovane Allievo Lorenzo Nucheli, caduti in… pic.twitter.com/gkhsJvbe3t
— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) October 1, 2025
The T-260B and seventieth Wing
The T-260B is a piston-engined coach plane employed by the Italian Air Pressure for fundamental flight instruction of its cades, forming a vital step within the service’s pilot coaching pipeline each earlier than and in the course of the programs on the Academy.
A navy spinoff of the SIAI-Marchetti SF.260, the T-260B incorporates a low-wing monoplane design, tandem seating, and aerobatic functionality, making it well-suited for introducing cadets to elementary flight maneuvers, navigation, and instrument flying. Because of its flight qualities, the plane ensures that pupil pilots achieve confidence in dealing with earlier than transitioning to extra superior trainers.
The T-260B is operated primarily by the 70° Stormo (seventieth Wing), primarily based at Latina Air Base, south of Rome, which has served because the cornerstone of the Italian Air Pressure’s ab initio coaching since its institution in 1960. The Wing’s mission is to supply preliminary flight screening and first coaching to each Italian and allied pupil pilots, making certain that solely these with the aptitude for navy aviation advance to the subsequent phases of the syllabus.
Over the many years, hundreds of aviators – together with many who went on to fly frontline fighters – have taken their first steps in navy aviation at Latina on the T-260B and its earlier variants.
