Castiglione della Pescaia commemorates Pegaso 2 helicopter tragedy

The community of Castiglione della Pescaia held a commemorative ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Pegaso 2 helicopter tragedy. The accident occurred on the night between October 8 and 9, 2001, when the medical helicopter crashed into a hill near Poggio Ballone, close to Tirli.

All five people on board were killed in the crash: pilots Giovanni Minetti and Paolo Brancaleon, doctor Niccolò Campo, nurse Gemma Castorina, and patient Paolo Massellucci. The helicopter was performing an emergency transfer from Grosseto to Pisa to provide neurosurgical care for the patient, who had suffered severe cranial injuries in a road accident.

To honor the victims, a new commemorative stele was inaugurated at the site. Donated by the Lions Club Salebrum Castiglione della Pescaia, the monument features five stars inspired by the Pegasus constellation, representing the five lives lost. The ceremony serves to renew the memory of the event, which previously prompted national mourning and a message of condolence from then-President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.