43 years of cover-ups and investigations into the Ustica plane crash: Bomb, missile, structural collapse
This is a summary of the main stages and judicial investigations related to the Ustica air disaster. On June 27, 1980, the Itavia DC9 plane crashed off the coast of Ustica, resulting in 81 deaths. The initial hypothesis was structural failure, but there were cover-ups. In July 1980, the remains of a Libyan Mig 23 were found in Sila. In March 1982, a ministerial inquiry ruled out structural failure but couldn’t determine if it was a missile or bomb. In January 1984, the investigation was formalized, and a commission of experts was appointed to determine the cause. In June 1987, the French company Ifremer began recovering the DC9 wreckage, but it was incomplete. In March 1989, the expert commission concluded that a missile had been launched from an aircraft. In May 1989, a government investigation supported the missile theory, not excluding a bomb. In July 1991, the British company Winpol recovered the black box. In July 1994, a panel of experts concluded it was a bomb, but two experts presented a report that didn’t exclude a missile. In June 1997, a radar investigation revealed the presence of military aircraft. In June 2000, the military prosecutor requested the investigation to be closed, which was later reopened in June 2008 after statements by former President Cossiga. In May 2009, a new trial was initiated to determine civil responsibility. In June 2010, the Rome prosecutor requested information from France and the USA on military air traffic near Ustica on the night of the crash. In September 2011, the court condemned the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Transport to pay compensation. In January 2012, the Cassation Court upheld the missile theory. In October 2013, the Cassation Court confirmed the missile theory and the cover-up. In October 2014, the Ministries of Defense and Transport were ordered to pay compensation. In May 2018, the Cassation Court condemned the Ministry of Defense and Infrastructure to compensate Itavia, the bankrupt airline. In June 2023, the investigation is on the verge of being closed, and former Prime Minister Amato revealed that the DC9 was shot down by a French missile.
Bomba, missile, cedimento strutturale: cronologia di 43 anni di depistaggi e inchieste sul disastro aereo di Ustica
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