He didn't make it to Milan only because, once on board the plane, he sat in an assigned seat that was claimed by the regular passenger. And it turned out that not only did he not have a ticket, but he also had no documents. Yet he had managed to get through all the security checks and board with a trolley. Which, however, remained in the overhead locker for the journey to Milan. Ownerless. A fifty-year-old man from Quartu with mental health issues who, on July 13th, was, against his will—for clinical reasons—the protagonist of an event bordering (perhaps beyond) the surreal. If confirmed in all its aspects, it would certify several flaws: those of the security checks at Elmas airport, but also of the mental health care system in Sardinia.

The Sogaer

Before the facts, a clarification: Sogaer, the Cagliari airport management company, has not denied its reconstruction of what happened Monday at the Mario Mameli airport, even aboard the Aeroitalia flight that afternoon bound for Linate. The company states that "the person involved had duly completed airport security checks." This is likely referring to the baggage, which was scanned. Therefore, in theory, any risk to the flight would have been ruled out. Even though no one knew that small suitcase was on board.

The trolley

The fifty-year-old's brother reconstructed the incident. He was left in disbelief, shock, and anger. He didn't name anyone, due to the difficult health conditions. But he said: "My brother had been going to the airport for days. He said he wanted to return to Milan, where he lived for a long time. But I was counting on the fact that, having no documents or money, it would be impossible for him to leave." On Monday the 13th, the fifty-year-old left with a suitcase: "And he came back the next day, without any luggage. I asked him where it had ended up," he said, "and he told me that the police had arrived on the plane and the suitcase had remained on board." At first, the version was deemed unlikely. "A few days later, I went to the airport, thinking the suitcase had been abandoned somewhere. I found it at the lost and found office: it had the Milan-Cagliari flight tag. And then I understood: it had been sent back. My brother had told the truth."

The flaws

From that moment, a reconstruction effort began. And the brother discovered that the fifty-year-old had indeed managed to board the plane. How he managed to get through all the checks is still unclear. According to an unofficial version, during both ticket checks—before the scanners and at boarding—he skillfully stood alongside someone with a ticket, taking advantage of the confusion. Once in the cabin, he sat down. But the entitled passenger arrived and asked him to move. A discussion with the flight attendants revealed that, in fact, that wasn't his seat. And that he shouldn't have even been on the plane. According to leaks, the "clandestine" boarding was the focus of a meeting of the airport security committee.

The alarm

The fifty-year-old's brother wonders: "If he had sat in a free seat, he would have arrived in Milan and we would have lost him: how is this possible?" A question that comes after long periods of concern: "We've been asking for him to be taken into care by mental health centers for some time. He had even set fire to his room in our parents' house: he was taken to the Santissima Trinità Psychiatric Hospital, then discharged after a few hours." The problem is the family's responsibility: "I asked for help with certified emails and formal letters," the man says, exasperated, "but I was told that until something serious happens, nothing can be done. I don't believe it: do we have to wait for the irreparable to happen?"

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