Status:	Final
Date:	14 NOV 1990
Time:	19:11
Type:	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Operator:	Alitalia
Registration:	I-ATJA
C/n / msn:	47641/746
First flight:	1974
Total airframe hrs:	43894
Cycles:	43452
Engines:	2 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9A
Crew:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Passengers:	Fatalities: 40 / Occupants: 40
Total:	Fatalities: 46 / Occupants: 46
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Stadlerberg (Switzerland)
Phase:	Approach (APR)
Nature:	International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Milano-Linate Airport (LIN/LIML), Italy
Destination airport:	Zürich-Kloten Airport (ZRH/LSZH), Switzerland
Flightnumber:	404

Narrative:
Flight 404 took off from Milan runway 36R at 18:36. After a problem free flight the flight was cleared to descend to 4000 feet and to make an ILS approach to runway 14. At 14nm from the runway 14 threshold, the aircraft captured the localizer and at about 11:5nm short, descended through the cleared altitude of 4000 feet, instead of leaving this altitude when intercepting the glide path at 8nm. The aircraft descended about 1400 feet below the glide path until it struck trees and crashed at 5,2nm from the runway.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "False indication of VHF NAV unit No.1 in the aircraft; probable altimeter misreading by the PIC; no GPWS warning in the cockpit; pilots not aware of the possibility of incorrect indications in the NAV equipment in use (without flag-alarm); inadequate failure analysis by the pilots; non-compliance with basic procedural instructions during the approach; COPI's initiated go-around procedure aborted by the PIC; the approach controller not observing the leaving of the cleared altitude of 4000ft QNH before the FAP."

Events:

Sources:
» Air Safety Week 5.4.1993 (p. 4,5)
» NTSB Safety Recommendations A-92-8 and 9