Catania

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Addis-Ababa – Cairo – Catanie – Rome – Stockholm

MSN:

12792

YOM:

1946

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was returning to Stockholm with a crew of four and 21 Swedish pilots who delivered Saab B-17 to the Ethiopian Army in Addis-Ababa. It left Catania Airport at 1428LT bound for Rome. After passing over the Island of Stromboli, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thick clouds. To avoid this area, the crew modified his route but few minutes later, while flying at an insufficient altitude of 1,040 meters in poor visibility, the aircraft hit tree tops located on the Mt Cerro near Ravello. The captain tried to avoid a ground collision so he increased engine power and attempted a 180 turn when the left wing hit the Santa Maria del Monte Peak. The aircraft crashed in flames and was destroyed. Four occupants were rescued while 21 others were killed.

Probable cause:

There is no reason to believe that the engines or instrument were not operating normally. The cause of the accident must have been the pilot's failure to realize that his aircraft was in mountainous territory. The surviving passengers could not give an account of what happened immediately prior to the accident as they all were asleep when it occurred.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Caltagirone: 24 killed

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-7725

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Catane - Ouargla

MSN:

4203

YOM:

1941

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Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Catania Airport, aircraft hit a mountain slope located near Caltagirone. All 24 occupants were killed. Crew was on its way to Ouargla, Algeria.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator into the Tyrrhenian Sea: 8 killed

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-11767

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Foggia – Catania

MSN:

263

YOM:

1941

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Lost without trace on a flight from Foggia to Catania. Probably crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea. No trace of the aircraft christened 'Shanghi Lil' nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL off Catania: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-32910

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

9136

YOM:

1943

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While approaching Catania on a dropping mission, the aircraft was shot down by the Italian Flak and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea 10 km northeast of the city. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (60th TCG):
2nd Lt Douglas Carter,
Lt Col Gordon Curtis Jr.,
T/Sgt Angelo E. Rinaldi,
T/Sgt James W. Yenne.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Italian Flak.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Catania: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-18418

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

4480

YOM:

1942

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The crew was taking part to the invasion of Sicily on the operation christened 'Husky'. While approaching Catania, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the Italian Flak and crashed in a field located south of Catania. All 4 crew members were killed.
Crew (12th TCS):
Sgt Herbert A. Rhoads,
1st Lt Clyde W. Saunders,
S/Sgt Joseph A. Serosky,
1st Lt Sidney Slotoroff.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Italian Flak.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Catania: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

41-19483

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

El Djem - El Djem

MSN:

6126

YOM:

1942

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While approaching Catania on a paradrop mission, the aircraft was shot down by the Italian Flak and crashed in a field located 20 km south of Catania. Two crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Crew (60th TCG):
Those killed were:
1st Lt James G. Murchison Jr.,
Sgt William B. Shuck.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Italian Flak.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO Skytrooper near Catania: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-68714

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

11641

YOM:

1943

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was taking part to the invasion of Sicily on the operation christened 'Husky'. While approaching Catania, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the Italian Flak and crashed in a field located 10 km south of Catania. All 4 crew members were killed.
Crew (10th TCS):
T/Sgt William Gesek,
2nd Lt Robert C. Malone Jr.,
1st Lt Raymond A. Runzel,
Sgt Peter A. Sheridan.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Italian Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Catania: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z9719

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

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The airplane departed RAF Luqa on an operation off Sicily. In unknown circumstances, it collided with a second RAF Blenheim registered Z7613. Both airplanes crashed into the sea off the harbor of Catania, killing all six crew members.
Crew:
Sgt William John Cuming, pilot,
Sgt John Herbert Pilley, observer,
Sgt Ralph Tollett, wireless operator.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Catania: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7613

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site: