Linee Aeree Transcontinentali Italiane - LATI

Destroyed following an accident in Benghazi. Occupant fate unknown.

Some 30 minutes after takeoff from Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, the right engine caught fire, forcing the crew to return to Catania. After landing, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and collided with two parked Junkers JU.88. Several explosions occurred and the SM.75C was destroyed by fire. Nevertheless, all 17 occupants evacuated safely and there were no injuries.

The three engine airplane was on its way from Rio de Janeiro to Rome with intermediate stops in Natal, Sal and Seville. It departed Natal Airport at 0800LT on the leg to Sal, Cape Verde, carrying a crew of four, six passengers and the diplomatic mail. At 1125LT, while overflying the Atlantic Ocean, the crew reported technical problems with the central engine that had to be shut down. At 1146LT, the crew sent a mayday message and 10 minutes later, he informed ATC that the situation on board was difficult. Less than 10 minutes later, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea. Important SAR operations were conducted on an area located some 185 km off the island of Fernando de Noronha. All operations were eventually suspended on January 22 as no trace of the aircraft nor the 10 occupants was found. The technical Director of LATI was among the occupants.
Crew:
Primo Ferioli, pilot,
Giuseppe Baratelli, pilot,
Oscar Pinelli, flight engineer,
Guido Fertonani, radio navigator.

The three engine aircraft was on its way from Italy to Brazil and departed Rome for the first leg to Seville. While overflying the Mediterranean Sea, contact was lost and it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. As the airplane failed to land at Seville Airport, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 16 occupants was ever found.
Crew:
Vittorio Suster, pilot,
Daniele Baldini, pilot,
Mr. Andenna, flight engineer,
Mr. Verdosci, radio operator.

The crew was completing the landing procedure at night while the runway was unlighted. After touchdown, the three engine aircraft collided with five camels sleeping on the runway. The aircraft sustained several damaged and was not repaired. There were no casualties among the occupants of the airplane while the fate of the camels remains unknown.

While overflying Morocco in poor weather conditions, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed in Dar el Caïd Allal Bou Fenzi, some 60 km southeast of Mogador. All seven occupants, three Italian journalists and four crew members, were killed. This route was inaugurated from Rome to Rio de Janeiro three days ago, on December 21, 1939 and this was the first back trip to Italy with the German diplomatic mail on board.