According to Leonardo, the M-346 crashed on Monte Legnone near Colico, Lombardy, shortly before noon local time on Wednesday.
The two crew members were said to have ejected, but the body of David Ashley, a married 49-year-old father of two from Poole, Dorset, was later discovered.
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time. Leonardo said in a statement that the trainer plane took off at 11:00 a.m. from its Venegono Superiore facility in Varese.
“Any contact with the aircraft was lost at 11:35 a.m.” The aircraft wreckage was discovered near Colico (Monte Legnone), between Como and Lecco in Northern Italy, thanks to the quick response of the rescue teams.
“Unfortunately, the arrival of rescue teams at the scene of the accident revealed the death of one of the two pilots.”
Mr Ashley was described as an external company’s pilot instructor. The pilot of the plane was reportedly taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Mr Ashley, a former RAF Harrier and F18 pilot, described being injured while taking part in air training in Qatar before establishing a property business in Poole in an interview with the DorsetBizNews website in 2019.