Date & Time:
Nov 20, 1929 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti S.55
Operator:
Registration:
I-TACO
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Cagliari – Olbia – Rome
MSN:
10519
YOM:
1929
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While landing in the harbor of Olbia, on a very calm sea, the seaplane landed hard, overturned and came to rest upside down off Terranova Pausania. A passenger was killed while 11 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by an optical illusion that suffered the pilot-in-command prior to landing. Due to the fact that the sea was very calm, in conjunction with the light density, the pilot misjudged the distance between the seaplane and the water surface, causing the aircraft to slam the water.
