The two Italian pilots who landed in Xlendi on a light-aircraft last month were released from custody yesterday and returned to Italy under the condition that they must return to Malta in case they are needed by the police to further investigations.

Giorgio Binotti, 54, and Giovanni Avallone, 60 crash landed in Xlendi bay on 21 June, raising questions why they were flying in Maltese airspace. The two men were released without charges.

Sources have said that the Italians were released after searches on the plane, as well as of the surrounding area of the crash site have come up with nothing pointing to any illegalities.  The plane, which was lifted out of the sea a day after it crashed, is being kept at the Xemxija Heliport.

According to the Italians’ statement, the plane’s engine stopped while they were flying between Malta and Sicily and they searched for somewhere close to land. In this case, the closest point would have been Marsalforn, which is on the north east, not Xlendi, which is in the northwest, and this therefore raised doubts about the pilots’ statements.

It is still unclear why the Italians never notified the Maltese of the Italian control towers about the flight; as well as why the transponder which would have made them visible to radar was turned off. It is also unclear how the aircraft has marks on it which say it belongs to the Italian Civil Protection and the aviation school Fly Sibari as both entities have claimed that the aircraft is not theirs.