In the late afternoon of today, during a search following a report, the wreckage of the plane and the lifeless body of 61-year-old Ivano Montanari, missing since January 28, were found in Sant'Anna Pelago, on the Modena Apennines. This was announced by the Modena Fire Brigade. The discovery comes after more than 40 days of searching, the plane was inside a gully.

The area has been closed and seized and recovery operations will begin at first light tomorrow. In the field all the bodies involved: Alpine Rescue Emilia Romagna, Fire Brigade, Alpine Rescue Guardia di Finanza and Carabinieri.

Massive research has been carried out in recent days, with an impressive deployment of means and men to search for Montanari. The investigations focused on a vast area of the Apennines on the Modena side, a difficult impervious and snowy territory, starting from the area between Pievepelago and Caselle, where the radar stopped reporting the aircraft and, at the time of disappearance, there were 60 centimeters of snow.

Montanari was considered an experienced pilot and had taken off from Reggio Emilia airport on January 28 on a white Eurostar Evektor Ev97 of the Top Gun flight school, a two-seater light sports aircraft, to fly over the hill and take some photos, thanks to the sunny day. After half an hour without receiving a response, the control tower issued the SOS that started the search.

"I no longer have visibility because of the fog," Montanari said in his latest communication, reports Gazzetta di Reggio. From that moment on, absolute emptiness. Two investigations are underway on the episode, one by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) and by the Public Prosecutor's Office for the disappearance.