Savoia-Marchetti S.55

The float plane was scheduled to depart Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky on a regular service to Khabarovsk with an intermediate stop in Viakhtu, carrying three passengers and four crew members. Several times during the day, the takeoff was postponed due to swell and strong winds. At each time, the crew spotted wooden logs floating on water. In the evening, as the weather seems to be a little better, the crew decided to take off, facing wind. During the takeoff roll, shortly prior to rotation, the airplane collided with wooded logs. Both floats were partially torn off, the airplane nosed down and plunged into the water, coming to rest few hundred metres offshore. Six people were quickly rescued while a passenger drowned. The aircraft was towed to shore but later considered as damaged beyond repair.

The float plane departed Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinski at 1040LT on a flight to Khabarovsk, carrying nine passengers and three crew members. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with reduced visibility. At 1158LT, the crew requested the last weather bulletin when radio communications were cut, about two minutes later. Too low, the airplane impacted high pine trees and crashed in a wooded area located in hilly terrain, some 80 metres below the summit. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 12 occupants was found. The wreckage was found by hunters in September 1935, some 67 km from Lazarev. A watch relatively intact was found on site, indicating 1200LT. In 2016, human remains were repatriated and buried in a cemetery in Khabarovsk.
Crew:
Alexander Svetogorov, pilot,
Mr. Efremov, radio operator,
Mr. Stychenko, flight engineer.
Passengers:
Anton Vasilievich Sheremetiev,
Stepan Shchetinin,
Mr. Baraksin,
Mrs. Baraksin + one infant,
Mr. Granovsky,
Mrs. Dokuchaev,
Mr. Kornyshen,
Mr. Mednis.

Source: http://amurmedia.ru/story/savoya/

Following a series of reconnaissance missions over the east part of the Primorsky krai, the crew was preparing to return to Vladivostok. About 20 minutes after takeoff from the Olga Bay, the captain decided to return to refuel. The floatplane landed at a speed of about 140-150 km/h when the right pontoon collided with an obstacle (a tree trunk or the wreck of a wooden fishing boat). This caused the pontoon to be cut for more than one meter. Water entered the cabin then the airplane broke into three pieces and came to rest. The crew of the ship 'Dvinoles' arrived quickly on the scene and was able to evacuated 11 people but two passengers drowned.

The crew was taking part to a world tour under the command of General Italo Balbo. After takeoff from Ponta Delgada, the seaplane crashed into the sea and came to rest upside down. One crew member was killed.

The seaplane departed Sevastopol on a flight to Cape Severny with several en route stops, carrying one passenger (one journalist from the Komsomolskaya Pravda) and four crew members. On the leg from Yeysk to Volsk, while flying over the Volga River at a speed of 175-200 km/h and at a height of about 10-15 metres, the airplane encountered a cold front, lost altitude and crashed into the river, some 300 metres from the shore. Fishermen were able to rescue two crew members while three other occupants were killed.

The seaplane departed Orbetello on a flight to the US, taking part to a world tour with 25 other similar airplane under the command of General Italo Balbo. While attempting to land in the harbor of Amsterdam (Schellingwoude), the airplane impacted a dam and crashed. Four crew members were injured and the Sgt Quintavalle was killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances while landing in the Bay of Salvador de Bahia. Two passengers and the radio navigator were killed while nine other occupants including the Minister José Américo de Almeida were injured.

The seaplane was engaged in a local mission out of Rio de Janeiro when it collided with a second S.55 operated by the same forces and registered 5. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed in the Guanabara Bay. Three crew members on board the S.55 registered 9 were killed and two others on board the S.55 registered 5. All 12 other crew members were injured. The exact circumstances of the collision are unclear.

The seaplane was engaged in a local mission out of Rio de Janeiro when it collided with a second S.55 operated by the same forces and registered 9. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed in the Guanabara Bay. Three crew members on board the S.55 registered 9 were killed and two others on board the S.55 registered 5. All 12 other crew members were injured. The exact circumstances of the collision are unclear.

Registered I-DONA, the Savoia-Marchetti S.55TA was taking part to a huge international rally organized by the Italian General Italo Balbo on a trip from Italy (Orbetello) to Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). A total of 14 Savoia-Marchetti S.55TA were involved in this rally. The group departed Orbetello on 17DEC1930, arrived in Kenitra on 21DEC1930, Villa Cisneros on 23DEC1930 and finally Bolama (Guinea Bissau, ex Portuguese Guinea) on Christmas Day. Due to poor weather conditions, it was not possible to continue so all crews observed a rest time on Bolama Island till 06JAN1931. This day, crew left Bolama without problems and continued along the route to Natal, some 3,000 km in total. At a distance of approximately 1,000 km off the Brazilian coast, crew encountered technical problems and attempted to make an emergency landing into the ocean. Several ships of the Italian Navy were cruising along the route, so all four crew were quickly rescued while the aircraft sunk and was lost. It was registered I-DONA, referring to the name of its captain Renato Donadelli.