Gyrocopter crashes into cable car wires in Italy, killing two

A dramatic crash occurred in Italy's Piedmont region when a gyrocopter struck service cable car wires, resulting in a fire and the deaths of both individuals on board.

The incident took place around 11:10 a.m. near the Campolico dam and artificial lake, at an altitude of about 1,400 meters, close to the Swiss border. Dramatic footage shows the small aircraft flying low over the mountainous terrain before impacting the wires, erupting into a fireball, and then crashing at the base of the dam.

The victims were identified as pilot Alessandro Angelo Muscinelli, a 62-year-old engineer from Premeno, and Antonella Paljarani, 63, from Milan. Paljarani was the partner of the pilot's brother, who witnessed the accident from the lake area.

Muscinelli and Paljarani had departed in their two-seater gyrocopter from the Megolo airfield. The aircraft collided with the wires of a service cable car owned by the energy company Enel, which connects the Camposecco lake area to the Campolico dam. Preliminary, unconfirmed reports suggest the pilot may have attempted to change course after encountering a cloud and reduced visibility.

Emergency services, including firefighters, carabinieri, financial police, mountain rescue, and medical teams, responded to the scene. A prosecutor's office in Verbania has launched an investigation into suspected involuntary manslaughter to determine the precise dynamics of the accident and any potential liability.