An exercise of the Italian Aerobatic Team (PAN) "Frecce Tricolori" was the scene of an unforeseen event this afternoon, on Tuesday 6 May 2025, at the Pantelleria airport (Sicily). Three of the MB-339 PAN aircraft that made up the formation were involved in an accident during training.

Initial indications suggest that a "bird-strike", or a collision with one or more birds in flight, may have triggered the sequence of events. One aircraft reportedly lost a wheel, a second suffered damage to one of its wings, while a third, during the landing phase, went off the runway.

Despite the potentially serious nature of the situation, it is understood that the pilots did not suffer any significant injuries. One of them received medical attention for minor bruises, but their general conditions are good.

Pantelleria airport was simultaneously closed to traffic to allow rescuers to intervene and secure the area affected by the accident. The competent authorities immediately began investigative procedures to precisely reconstruct the dynamics of the incident and ascertain the causes that led to the accident.

Official communications are expected in the next few hours regarding the developments of the investigation and the reopening of the airport.