A couple survived two separate plane crashes that occurred only a few miles apart on the same day. Stefano Pirilli, 30, and his fiance Antonietta Demasi, 22, en route to Turin, Italy, experienced harrowing moments as their planes plummeted to the ground.
As Mr Pirilli's aircraft went down, Ms Demasi's plane also encountered trouble soon after. Firefighters promptly rescued the pair from each crash site.
Miraculously, the couple and the pilots, including Ms Demasi's pilot Paolo Rotondo, 38, survived the incidents. Ms Demasi suffered a pelvic injury, while pilot Rotondo sustained a head wound, the Daily Mail reported. Mr Pirilli was unharmed from the wreckage of a two-seater Tecnam P92 Echo Super.
This was Antonietta's first flying experience, Mr Pirilli said, adding he was sorry for how it turned out. He added that their day started on a beautiful note but ended with both crashing in separate planes. He said they were fortunate to not have died, adding their thoughts were with the injured pilots.
Sunday was a perfect day for flying blue skies, sunshine and not a cloud, it was the perfect way to have some fun in the air, he said. And now Mr Pirilli just wanted his girlfriend and the pilot to get better.
Reflecting on the events leading to the crashes, he explained, "We fell foul of the weather and the time – the mist started to come up as the temperature dropped and then all of a sudden it was night."
Mr Pirilli said they decided to try and land at Busano, and he called Antonietta to inform her. The pilot of her plane said he would land at the airfield near San Gillio. As they headed to the airstrip, they were enveloped in mist and darkness. There were electricity cables around and before they knew it, they crashed onto the ground and into a meadow, Mr Pirilli said.
Despite the challenging circumstances, Mr Pirilli maintained his focus on the well-being of his fiance and the pilot. He managed to call the emergency services and then tried calling Antonietta but there was no answer. The firefighters turned up and said how crazy it was as this was their second plane crash. "I rushed straight to the hospital and have been there ever since. I just hope Antonietta and Paolo are out of the hospital soon," he added.