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| Milan's Pirelli Tower burns on April 18, 2002, after being impacted by a small aircraft. (File Photo/AFP) |
MILAN, Italy (AP) - Prosecutors want to close their investigation
into last year's crash of a plane into Milan's landmark Pirelli tower after
deciding the incident likely was an accident, officials said Thursday.
The 67-year-old pilot was the only person who could be held responsible and
he was killed, so there was no reason to continue the case, judicial officials
said. A judge will now decide whether to endorse the prosecutors' findings.
Pilot Luigi Fasulo and two workers inside the Pirelli tower were killed April
18, 2002, when his Rockwell Commander 112TC slammed into the building, triggering
memories of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New
York.
However, Italian authorities soon ruled out terrorism, suggesting the plane
experienced mechanical problems, Fasulo fell ill at the controls or Fasulo
killed himself.
Investigators said suicide did not seem to be the cause.
Air-safety officials said in February the "most probable" cause was that
the pilot could not steer the aircraft due to technical difficulties. The
National Agency of Air Security also criticized instructions from the control
tower at Milan's Linate airport.
However, Milan prosecutors decided no one else could be held responsible
for the accident. |
