An Italian Air Force Eurofighter crashed near Trapani in western Sicily at around 19:00 local time, killing the pilot.
The fighter jet from the 37th Wing was returning to the Sicilian airbase from a training mission when it crashed. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
The defense ministry identified the pilot as 33-year-old Captain Pilot Fabio Antonio Altruda. Despite initial reports saying the pilot was able to eject, rescue teams located his body on the ground near the wreckage of the aircraft.
The December 13 crash follows the fatal crash of an Italian Eurofighter in September 2017, which was caught on video crashing into the sea off Rome.
