Supreme Court Has Last Word On Ustica Disaster

Background

On June 27 1980 an Itavia Douglas DC-9-15 jetliner was en route from Bologna to Palermo when it crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea off the small island of Ustica. All 81 passengers and crew members were killed. Most of the wreckage sank to a depth of some 3,500 metres, but in the following days floating debris (along with several bodies) was found within an area of several hundred square kilometres.

The cause of the accident was never officially established. In the years following the event, panels of experts examined the wreckage and reached different conclusions, some alleging that the DC-9 may have accidently been shot down by a missile from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation fighters during a dogfight involving Libyan, US, French and Italian air force fighters in the area. It was also suggested that an explosive device had detonated in the rear (starboard) toilet.