Italian Air Force MB-339 Damaged

Three MB-339A/PAN jets of the Italian Air Force's Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team made contact with each other during a display at Pantelleria, Sicily, when, in the Air Force's words, an abnormal separation of the formation during the cardioid manoeuvre forced the interruption of the programme. All three aircraft landed; one veered off the runway after touchdown, which the Air Force attributed to a nosewheel steering problem. Two jets sustained serious tail damage and the third was damaged on the nose and underside, according to The Aviationist. Media reports said one pilot was taken to hospital with a suspected leg fracture, while the Air Force stated that the pilot was unharmed.