Italy | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft departed the Brussels-Haren Airport for Rome at 1717LT on an IFR flight plan. According to radio communications between the aircraft and the area controls at Zurich, Milan and Rome the flight appears to have been normal. The aircraft was in touch with Rome area control at 1929LT and the last message from it was received at 1953LT. At about 1950LT the aircraft after overflying the village of Leonessa and continued on a heading of 163° until it hit the slope of the Mt Costone dell'Acquasanta at an altitude of 1,700 meters after breaking off the tops of trees in a wood in line with the point of impact, near the end of its course. The wreckage was found one week later only and all 29 occupants have been killed, among them the Italian actress Marcella Mariani.

Probable cause:

The probable cause of the accident was that the navigation was conducted without making use of all such radio aids as would have permitted checking, and consequently correcting the drift of the aircraft, whereas the crew actually remained unaware of the drift. In fact, instead of making sure they were over the Viterbo beacon, they merely held that conviction, and therefore the approach procedure to the Rome terminal area (which prescribes overflight of the Viterbo beacon) was erroneously applied. The following contributing causes may be taken into consideration:
- crosswind to the route stronger than forecast,
- weather conditions particularly unfavorable to radio reception in MF,
- None of the messages from the aircraft gave the impression that the crew were in any doubt as to their position,
- The gradual uncontrolled eastward drift may be assumed to have started along the Alpine route, in view of the atmospheric conditions then prevailing, and particularly because of the jet stream previously mentioned,
- The message "passed Viterbo beacon one minute ago" sent by the aircraft at 1951LT was certainly an error, actually, the aircraft struck the surface at 1853 at a point more than 60 km east of Viterbo on a heading of 163°.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon in Vaccarizzo: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1954 at 0930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed P-2 Harpoon

Operator:

Registration:

MM80061

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Sigonella - Sigonella

MSN:

15-1329

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew (87th Squadron) was completing a local training sortie from Sigonella NAS. In unclear circumstances, the Harpoon collided in flight with a second Italian Air Force Harpoon registered MM80065 and carrying a crew of four. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in Vaccarizzo, about 15 km south of Catania. The debris were found in a wasteland located less than a km from the beach. Both aircraft were destroyed and all nine crew members were killed.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon in Vaccarizzo: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1954 at 0930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed P-2 Harpoon

Operator:

Registration:

MM80065

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Sigonella - Sigonella

MSN:

15-1479

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew (87th Squadron) was completing a local training sortie from Sigonella NAS. In unclear circumstances, the Harpoon collided in flight with a second Italian Air Force Harpoon registered MM80061 and carrying a crew of five. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in Vaccarizzo, about 15 km south of Catania. The debris were found in a wasteland located less than a km from the beach. Both aircraft were destroyed and all nine crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL near Limone Piemonte: 21 killed

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1954 at 1750 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

43-16044

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Rome – Lyon – Manston

MSN:

20510

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Rome-Ciampino Airport in the afternoon on a flight to Manston, Kent, with an intermediate stop at Lyon-Bron Airport. While cruising at an altitude of 8,500 feet over the Italian Alps, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane hit the slope of a mountain at 1750LT. As it failed to arrive in Lyon, SAR operations were conducted but the wreckage was found a week later only in an isolated area located about 12 km west of Limone Piemonte, east of the Argentera Mountain Range. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 21 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew failed to prepare the flight properly and according to procedures. For unknown reason, the altitude mentioned on the flight plan was 8,200 feet, which is insufficient to pass over the Alps. A gap of 13 degrees was also noted on the heading (flight path), maybe due to the fact that the crew mistook the Poretta and Bastia beacons, close to each other. Also, it was noted that a wind was blowing at 45 knots from the southwest, which probably contributed to deviate the aircraft from the prescribed flight path.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Rome

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1954 at 1730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

I-LENT

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Rome - Rome

MSN:

4548

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Juts after liftoff, while climbing, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crash landed on the runway. All four crew members who were involved in a local training mission were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure just after rotation.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 off San Lucido: 21 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1954 at 2004 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.106 Comet

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALYY

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

London – Rome – Cairo – Addis Ababa – Nairobi – Johannesburg

MSN:

6011

YOM:

1952

Flight number:

SA201

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10971

Captain / Total hours on type:

86.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1694

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

2704

Circumstances:

Owned by BOAC, the aircraft was operated by South African Airways with a SAA crew under flight SA201. It left Rome-Ciampino Airport at 1932LT (25 minutes delay due to a technical problem) with an ETA at Cairo Airport at 2220LT. While cruising at an estimated altitude of 35,000 feet off the Italian coast, the aircraft disappeared from radar screens at 2004LT and crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 17 km off San Lucido. SAR operations were quickly dispatched but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 21 occupants was found.

Probable cause:

Owing to the absence of wreckage, we are unable to form a definite opinion on the cause of the accident near Naples, but we draw attention to the fact that the explanation offered for the accident at Elba appears to be applicable to that at Naples.

Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45F Expeditor off Finale Ligure

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

Operator:

Registration:

1532

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

A-732

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, an unexpected situation forced the crew to ditch the aircraft off Finale Ligure. All five occupants were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6 in Rome: 16 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1954 at 1150 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-6

Operator:

Registration:

PI-C294

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Manila – Bangkok – Karachi – Beirut – Rome – Zurich – Hamburg – London

MSN:

42902

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Rome-Ciampino Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions. While descending through clouds at an altitude of 6,500 feet, the crew informed ground about fire on right engine. It is believed that both right engines were on fire at this time. The pilot-in-command reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when, at a height of 650 feet, the airplane plunged into the earth and crashed in a huge explosion in a field located about six km east of Ciampino Airfield. The four engine aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 16 occupants have been killed. A crater was seen at the point of impact and debris were scattered on a wide area.

Probable cause:

Technical issues or fire on both right engines was not confirmed by investigations. However, some unforeseen fact to which the aircraft was subjected, as a result of which, being no longer under control, it went into a steep dive, probably on account of wing drop in the clouds, and crashed to the ground after an uncompleted pull-out. The Committee, although unable to affirm that wing drop could have been caused by atmospheric conditions, wishes to point out that there was pronounced turbulence in the area.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 off Elbe Island: 35 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1954 at 1105 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.106 Comet

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALYP

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Singapore – Beirut – Rome – London

MSN:

6003

YOM:

1951

Flight number:

BA781

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6566

Captain / Total hours on type:

291.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

4915

Copilot / Total hours on type:

262

Aircraft flight hours:

3681

Circumstances:

About twenty minutes after its takeoff from Rome-Ciampino Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 27,000 feet between the islands of Elbe and Montecristo, the airplane suffered a brutal decompression, disappeared from radar screens and crashed into the Tyrrhenian Sea. Some debris were found floating about 16 km south of Elbe Island and the main wreckage sank by a depth of 600 meters. All 35 occupants were killed. About 70% of the debris were recovered and the airplane was rebuilt in UK for investigations. As there were suspicions of technical issues, BOAC, Air France and SAA decided to suspend all Comet flights. After fifty modifications and improvements, the airplane started to fly again two months later. It was eventually discovered that the airplane suffered a structural failure and exploded in flight.

Probable cause:

It was the opinion of the Board that the accident was caused by structural failure of the pressure cabin, brought about by fatigue. Investigators reach this opinion for the following reasons:
- The low fatigue resistance of the cabin has been demonstrated by the test described in Part 3, and the test result is interpretable as meaning that there was, at the age of the Elba aeroplanes a definite risk of fatigue failure occurring,
- The cabin was the first part of the aeroplane to fail in the Elba accident,
- The wreckage indicates that the failure in the cabin was of the same basic type as that produced in the fatigue test,
- This explanation seems to us to be consistent with all the circumstantial evidence,
- The only other defects found in the aeroplane were not concerned at Elba, as demonstrated by the wreckage.

Final Report:

Crash of a Fiat G.212 in Rome

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1953 at 1235 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fiat G.212

Operator:

Registration:

MM61637

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Rome - Rome

MSN:

YOM:

1948

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training flight at Rome-Centocelle Airport. On final, he decided to make a go around because another small plane was approaching the same airport. Doing so, the three engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a sandy area short of runway and eventually collided with a dyke. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Subscribe to Italy