By Emeka Blast 
Second Aircraft Incident Reported on Highway Near Brescia, Italy
A small ultralight aircraft crashed onto the A21 Cordamolle-Ospitale highway near Brescia in northern Italy on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, killing both occupants and sparking a massive fireball that disrupted traffic and injured two motorists. The tragic incident, captured on CCTV and widely shared on social media, occurred around noon in the Castel Mella area, close to the commune of Azzano Mella. The victims, identified as 75-year-old Milanese lawyer Sergio Ravaglia and his 50-year-old partner Anna Maria De Stefano, were pronounced dead at the scene, their bodies burned beyond recognition in the wreckage.
The plane, which took off from Gragnano Trebbiense in the Piacenza region, plummeted nose-first into the highway, narrowly missing vehicles but erupting into flames upon impact. Shocking footage shows cars swerving to avoid the blaze, with two drivers passing through the fire but escaping serious harm. Local reports confirmed the motorists sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at a nearby hospital. The A21 highway was closed in both directions for hours as firefighters extinguished the blaze and emergency crews cleared debris, which scattered across the road and damaged the surface.
Italian authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, with initial theories pointing to a possible mechanical failure or pilot error, potentially exacerbated by Ravaglia’s age and a possible medical emergency. The ultralight aircraft, a Freccia RG, was not required to declare its destination under Italy’s lenient regulations for such planes, complicating efforts to trace its flight path. The Brescia Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a manslaughter case, and a consultant from the National Agency for Flight Safety is assisting the probe.
Social media erupted with reactions, with X posts like @RT_com stating, “2 dead as small plane plunges onto busy Italian highway near Brescia,” and @upuknews1 describing the plane “spiraling out of control before it suddenly dropped into traffic.” The hashtag #BresciaCrash trended, with users like @MyLordBebo noting the plane’s spinning descent. The incident follows a string of aviation tragedies, including a Bangladesh fighter jet crash on July 21 that killed 31, raising concerns about air safety near populated areas.
