Country
Italy
code

Sicily

Crash of a Grumman S2F-1 Tracker off Syracuse: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1961
Type of aircraft:
Grumman S-2 Tracker
Operator:
Registration:
MM144697
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Syracuse - Syracuse
MSN:
658
YOM:
1958
Location:
Syracuse
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While conducting a training flight off Syracuse, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and crashed into the Bay of Augusta. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Mr. Bacci,
Mr. Ambroso,
Mr. Farina.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

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

Date & Time: Aug 10, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed P-2 Harpoon
Operator:
Registration:
MM80058
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Catania - Catania
MSN:
15-1449
YOM:
1944
Location:
Catania
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, while in initial climb, one of the engine caught fire and exploded. The airplane crashed in flames in a field located two km from the airport, killing all five crew members.
Probable cause:
Engine explosion after takeoff.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon off Fiumefreddo

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed P-2 Harpoon
Operator:
Registration:
MM80069
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Catania - Catania
MSN:
15-1036
YOM:
1944
Location:
Fiumefreddo
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed Catania-Fontanarossa Airport for a maritime patrol flight. Enroute, an engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft off Fiumefreddo di Sicilia. All three crew members were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45F Expeditor off Palermo

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1955 at 1900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
Operator:
Registration:
MM61666
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Palermo - Palermo
MSN:
8206
YOM:
1944
Location:
Palermo
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew left Palermo-Boccadifalco Airport on a patrol flight, searching for cigarettes smuggling boat. In-flight, an unexpected situation forced the crew to ditch the aircraft at 1900LT about 70 km off Palermo. The aircraft sank and was lost while all four occupants were rescued at 2330LT.

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:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Sigonella - Sigonella
MSN:
15-1329
YOM:
1944
Location:
Vaccarizzo
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
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:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Sigonella - Sigonella
MSN:
15-1479
YOM:
1944
Location:
Vaccarizzo
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
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 an Avro 683 Lancaster GR.3 off Agrigento: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1953 at 0448 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
TX270
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Agrigento
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 1,500 feet in low visibility due to the night and rain falls, the aircraft collided with a RAF Vickers 607 Valetta C.1 registered VX562. En route from Luqa to Northolt, the Valetta was carrying 16 passengers and a crew of three. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean sea about 46 km southwest of Agrigento. All 26 occupants in both aircraft were killed. The Lancaster crew was following HMS Gambia and other Royal Navy ships on an antisubmarine exercise.
Probable cause:
The court of inquiry decided that the weather conditions at the time were a factor with localized thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail and no blame could be attached to any individual. Evidence did reveal that though the Malta Flight Information Centre were not in possession of full information on the Lancaster's sortie, it was not a contributory cause.

Crash of a Vickers 607 Valetta C.1 off Agrigento: 19 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1953 at 0448 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Valetta
Operator:
Registration:
VX562
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Luqa – Northolt
YOM:
1950
Location:
Agrigento
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 1,500 feet in low visibility due to the night and rain falls, the aircraft collided with a RAF Avro 683 Lancaster GR.3 registered TX270. En route from Luqa to Northolt, the Valetta was carrying 16 passengers and a crew of three. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean sea about 46 km southwest of Agrigento. All 26 occupants in both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
The court of inquiry decided that the weather conditions at the time were a factor with localized thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail and no blame could be attached to any individual. Evidence did reveal that though the Malta Flight Information Centre were not in possession of full information on the Lancaster's sortie, it was not a contributory cause.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A off Trapani: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1952 at 0300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes
Operator:
Registration:
G-ALDF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Blackbushe – Luqa – Khartoum
MSN:
81/7
YOM:
1950
Location:
Trapani
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
51
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft, engaged on a non-scheduled flight from Blackbushe, England to Wadi Seidna, Khartoum, via Malta, took off from Blackbushe Airport at 2025LT on August 24 with 51 passengers and 6 crew. The flight was normal until 0025GMT when the aircraft reached a position about 20 miles west of Trapani. At this time, No. 2 and No. 3 engines showed signs of abnormal functioning and were deliberately shut down and the propellers feathered. Without electrical power except from the batteries which were depleted of their charge by use of the radio equipment for emergency signals, Nos. 1 and 4 engines began to show signs of abnormal functioning. At approximately 00300LT, a ditching was carried out on the sea between the Port of Trapani and the island of Formica. Four passengers were drowned and two missing, one stewardess was also missing.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the accident lay in a failure of one or both of the two inner engines number two and three. The reason for the failure was undetermined. The contributory causes were:
- State of mind arising from the knowledge of another accident, only a short time before, to an aircraft of the same type, which was proved to have been due to power-plant failure,
- Failure of electrical generators when number two and three engines stopped,
- Batteries inadequate for ensuring normal flight functions and not even sufficient for satisfactory transmission of distress messages,
- Limited experience of the crew and of the hostesses on this type of aircraft,
- Limited training of the crew,
- Emergency procedures not properly followed, particularly by the hostesses,
- Life rafts either missing or not used,
- Failure of lifebelts.

The Commission was of the opinion that only one of the two inner engines (Nos. 2 and 3) failed of its own accord and that the stoppage and failure of the other one was caused by an error of the flight engineer.
Final Report:

Crash of a Vickers 614 Viking 1 on Mt La Cinta: 31 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1952 at 1830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viking
Operator:
Registration:
G-AHPI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bovingdon – Nice – Luqa – Nairobi
MSN:
142
YOM:
1946
Location:
Mt La Cinta
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
26
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
31
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 1,040 meters about 65 km south of Palermo in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the north slope of Mt La Cinta. The crash site was reached by the rescuers three days later and all 31 occupants have been killed. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and an engine and a wing were found about 800 meters from the main wreckage.
Probable cause:
Imprudence on the part of the pilot, who failed to maintain a greater safety altitude during flight over Sicily, and that, particularly, in consideration of the thundery formations present over the area. A contributory factor was the pilot's ignorance of real wind conditions on the route which led to a displacement of the actual track by 3° with reference to that intended. The Commission finds that the flight safeguarding service provided by the D/F stations of Rome and Cagliari was accomplished with due care and that, without being asked to do so other D/F stations (Milan and Venice) transmitted bearing information.
Subscribe to Sicily