Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 in Castelvetrano: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 7, 1943 at 2300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-MOLE
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tunis - Castelvetrano
MSN:
32070
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
32
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Tunis Airport in the early evening bound for Castelvetrano with wounded soldiers on board. At that time, the aircraft was heavily loaded. On a night approach to Castelvetrano, weather conditions were poor with low clouds and rain falls. The first approach was abandoned by the captain because he was unable to locate the runway due to poor visibility. The approach lights of the aircraft were out of order at that time. During the second approach, the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway but the speed was too high (160 km/h). During the last segment, the captain reduced the engine power to idle when the aircraft plunged and hit the runway surface. The right wing caught fire and the aircraft went out of control and crashed. Four soldiers (three Germans and one French) were killed while all 33 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Crew:
Ten Alfredo Bonsignore, pilot,
Sgt Ugo Antonellini, pilot,
Sgt Armando Marchetti, flight engineer,
Sgt Beniamino Valobra, radio navigator,
Sgt Pietro Punzi, air gunner.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero off Viareggio: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
MM22022
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Pisa - Pisa
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training sortie from Pisa Airport. While cruising off Viareggio, the three-engine aircraft was mistakenly shot down by the crew of the German cargo ship christened 'Nicoline Maersk'. The aircraft crashed into the sea and was lost, killing all five crew members. Some debris of the wreckage were found in 1984.
Crew:
Ten Cipriani,
S/Ten Fasciani,
A/S Bufali,
A/S Cosana,
A/A Domanetti.
Probable cause:
Shot down by fire.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator off Messina: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-11602
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
98
YOM:
1941
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While overflying the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Mediterranean Sea off Messina. SAR operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the eight crew members.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator off Messina

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-11603
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
99
YOM:
1941
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying along the Italian shore, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Messina. The crew fate remains unknown while the aircraft christened 'Malicious' was lost.

Crash of a Fiat G.18V off Venice: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1943 at 1740 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-EURE
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Belgrade - Venice
MSN:
6
YOM:
1937
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a schedule service from Belgrade to Venice with one passenger and four crew members on board. On final approach at night, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to mist. At a height of 100 feet, he initiated a left turn when the left wing tip impacted the water surface and the aircraft crashed into the sea. The wreckage was found the following morning at a distance of 500 metres from the shore. All five occupants were killed.

Crash of a Fiat G.18 in Milan

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-ETNA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Milan - Milan
MSN:
3
YOM:
1936
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While performing a test flight in the Milan area, the crew encountered fuel problems and was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a field. The aircraft was wrecked while all occupants escaped unhurt.

Crash of a CRDA CANT Z.506B off Italy: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
MM45404
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Italy. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 in Rome: 20 killed

Date & Time: May 19, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-MELE
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Rome – Trapani – Tripoli
MSN:
32052
YOM:
1939
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off, the three engine aircraft encountered problems to gain height, hit tree tops, stalled and crashed in flames. All 20 occupants were killed, among them Captain Rossaldi.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75RT in Guidonia AFB

Date & Time: May 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
MM65037
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Rome - Guidonia
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a positioning flight from Rome-Ciampino to the Guidonia Airbase. The aircraft crashed on landing for unknown reason. The aircraft was wrecked and all four crew members were injured, among them Lt Col Amadeo Paradisi, pilot.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75TP off Sicily

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
I-BURA
Flight Phase:
Schedule:
Tripoli - Rome
MSN:
32040
YOM:
1939
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Tripoli to Rome, the three engine airplane was shot down and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily. The occupant's fate remains unknown.
Probable cause:
Shot down.