The T-260B basic trainer, assigned to the 70th Wing, crashed in a national park southeast of Rome.
A T-260B basic trainer of the Italian Air Force crashed in the morning of Oct. 1, 2025, in the Circeo national park near Sabaudia, about 70 km southeast of Rome. The aircraft was assigned to the 70th Wing at Latina Air Base, which is responsible for selecting and training future pilots of the Italian Air Force, other national armed and security forces, as well as cadets from foreign militaries.
The service and the Ministry of Defense confirmed that both crew members lost their lives in the crash. The Air Force identified them as Colonel Simone Mettini, flight instructor and Commander of the 70th Wing, and student pilot Lorenzo Nucheli.
Parco Nazionale del #Circeo, questa mattina un velivolo T-260B del 70° Stormo di Latina, durante una missione addestrativa è precipitato al suolo, per cause al momento non note.
Sul posto sono intervenute immediatamente le squadre di soccorso. pic.twitter.com/S9Ax3vOjyn— Aeronautica Militare (@ItalianAirForce) October 1, 2025
The aircraft was flying a routine training mission in the morning when the mishap happened. An HH-139B of the 85th CSAR Center from Pratica di Mare and an AW139 of the Vigili del Fuoco have been dispatched to the area to assist in the Search and Rescue effort.
The causes of the crash are not yet known, and an investigation has been launched to discover what happened.
“Si dice che un pilota non muore mai, vola solo più in alto, ma non posso nascondere il profondo dolore per la notizia della tragica scomparsa del Colonnello Simone Mettini, Comandante di Stormo ed esperto pilota istruttore, e del giovane Allievo Lorenzo Nucheli, caduti in… pic.twitter.com/gkhsJvbe3t
— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) October 1, 2025
The T-260B and 70th Wing
The T-260B is a piston-engined trainer aircraft employed by the Italian Air Force for basic flight instruction of its cades, forming an essential step in the service’s pilot training pipeline both before and during the courses at the Academy.
A military derivative of the SIAI-Marchetti SF.260, the T-260B features a low-wing monoplane design, tandem seating, and aerobatic capability, making it well-suited for introducing cadets to fundamental flight maneuvers, navigation, and instrument flying. Thanks to its flight qualities, the aircraft ensures that student pilots gain confidence in handling before transitioning to more advanced trainers.
The T-260B is operated primarily by the 70° Stormo (70th Wing), based at Latina Air Base, south of Rome, which has served as the cornerstone of the Italian Air Force’s ab initio training since its establishment in 1960. The Wing’s mission is to provide initial flight screening and primary training to both Italian and allied student pilots, ensuring that only those with the aptitude for military aviation advance to the next phases of the syllabus.
Over the decades, thousands of aviators – including many who went on to fly frontline fighters – have taken their first steps in military aviation at Latina on the T-260B and its previous variants.
