On August 2, 1968, Alitalia Flight 660, a Douglas DC-8-43 registered as I-DIWF, crashed while on approach to Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy
. The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, with a stopover in Milan.
The crash resulted from navigation errors that led the pilots to descend prematurely during a nighttime instrument approach, believing they were closer to the airport. This led to a controlled flight into terrain. Contributing factors included the crew not utilizing available navigation aids, descending below the minimum safe altitude, and unfamiliarity with the terrain. Pilot intoxication was initially considered but ruled out.
The aircraft crashed into a wooded hillside 11.5 km north of runway 35. While all 95 people aboard survived the impact, 12 passengers died in the ensuing fire. The aircraft was destroyed.
