Italy | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Luqa Airfield on an operation to Italy. It crashed in unknown circumstances into Crotone harbor. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Walter Harry Wallace, pilot,
Sgt Lewis Desmond Parry, observer,
Sgt John Emrys Jones, wireless operator.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II off Lampedusa: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5559

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Gibraltar - Luqa

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Then airplane departed Gibraltar on a flight to Luqa with a crew of five on board. While cruising over the Mediterranean Sea, it was shot down by a Cr.42 and crashed into the sea some 15 km south of Lampedusa. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Francis Butler,
Sgt Thomas Preston Butterfield,
Sgt Maurice Henry Cope,
Sgt Donald Robert Arthur Garrick,
Sgt David Dawson Todd.

Probable cause:

Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a Piaggio P.108B in Pisa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 7, 1941 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Piaggio P.108

Operator:

Registration:

MM22003

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Pisa - Pisa

Location:

Pisa-San Giusto-Galileo Galilei (Arturo dell'Oro)

Tuscany

Country:

Italy

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training exercise at Pisa-San Giusto Airport. On approach, two engines lost power simultaneously, causing the airplane to stall and to crashfew hundred metres short of runway. Five crew members were injured and three others were killed, among them Bruno Mussolini.
Crew (274th Squadron):
Lt Francesco Sacconi, pilot,
Off Angelo Trezzini, flight engineer,
Cpt Bruno Mussolini, pilot. (Aged 23, he was the second son of Benito Mussolini).

Probable cause:

Double engine failure on approach.

Crash of a Macchi C.100 off Lido di Ostia: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1941 at 0915 LT

Type of aircraft:

Macchi C.100

Operator:

Registration:

I-PACE

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Lido di Ostia – Cagliari

MSN:

4158

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from the Lido di Ostia seaplane base, while climbing to a height of some 300 feet, the crew encountered a loss of power on one engine and the captain decided to return. On approach, after passing over the Tiber Estuary, the floatplane encountered atmospheric turbulences, stalled and crashed. Five occupants were killed. The airplane was operated on behalf of Nucleo Comunicazioni Ala Littoria with the military registration MM60419.

Probable cause:

Engine problems.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52C-2 near Milan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

R4+GM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Gilz

MSN:

0794

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Gilze-Rijen AFB on an operation to England. Over the North Sea, it was attacked by a British fighter. A crew member was killed during this attack. The rest of the crew decided to return to base in Holland but eventually bailed out over France, having thrown out the body of the pilot by parachute. With the autopilot system on, the airplane continued to Italy then crashed when it ran out of fuel.
Crew:
Oblt Paul Bohn, pilot, †
Fw Hans Engmann, radio operator,
Uffz Walter Lindner, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a CRDA CANT Z.506 Airone off Sicily

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1941

Type of aircraft:

CRDA CANT Z.506 Airone

Operator:

Registration:

I-POLA

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Ambulance

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

299

YOM:

1936

Location:

Sicily

Country:

Italy

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While completing an ambulance flight, the three engine airplane was shot down by a British fighter and crashed in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily. The occupant's fate remains unknown.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 off Stromboli: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 4, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

4D+CT

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

4240

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The bomber crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 300 metres west of Stromboli, off Sicily. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Albrecht Irion, pilot,
Gefr Paul Wulf, bomb aimer,
Uffz Paul Schledermann, radio operator,
Gefr Gerhard Urban, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Marina di Ragusa: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

1Z+LU

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

City

MSN:

6235

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane suffered an engine failure, lost height and crashed onto a house located 26-28 Cagliari Street in Marina di Ragusa, bursting into flames. All four crew members were killed as well as five members of the Carnemolla Family.
Crew:
Fw Theodor Rohmann, pilot,
Fw Kurt Bock, observer,
Fw Ernst Hahn, mechanic,
Uffz Willi Michael, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/mg5e off Messina: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

4V+EH

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

7055

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Messina. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Heinz Scherwarth, pilot,
Fw Heinz Clausen, radio operator,
Ofw Helmut Stein, flight engineer.
Gefr Helmut Gottschalk.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m on Mt Tezio: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

G6+KL ?

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Florence - Rome

MSN:

6528

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine airplane crashed on the slope of Mt Tezio located about 10 km northwest of Perugia. Two crew members were injured and three others were killed.
Crew:
Fw Paul List, pilot, †
Uffz Heinz Manthei, radio operator, †
Fw Rithmeier, mechanic,
Fhr Otmar Hain, †
Uffz Otto Torge.