Regia Aeronautica | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

At Benghazi Airport, the pilot aborted the takeoff procedure for unknown reasons. The airplane lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no injuries.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero in Torri ta' Triq il-Wiesgħa

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1940 at 0800 LT

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Location:

Torri ta' Triq il-Wiesgħa

Malta

Country:

Malta

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all four crew members.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero near Tobruk: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1940 at 1730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

Operator:

Registration:

I-MANU

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

El Feteyat - Tobruk

MSN:

32040

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine aircraft departed El Feteyat Airfield at 1700LT bound for Tobruk. Half way down, the crew informed ground he was about 160 km east of his departure point. While approaching Tobruk, the aircraft was hit by ground fire, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in some 60 km west of Tobruk, bursting into flames. All nine occupants were killed, among them the Italian Minister of Aviation Italo Balbo.
Crew:
Marechal Italo Balbo, Pilot,
Maj Ottavio Frailich, copilot,
Cpt Gino Cappannini, flight engineer,
Sgt-Major Giuseppe Berti, radio navigator,
Enrico Caretti,
Lino Balbo,
Claudio Brunelli,
Nello Quilici,
Cino Florio.

Probable cause:

One day after the crash, the Italian Government announced officially that the airplane had been accidentally shot down by the Italian navy ship named 'San Giorgio' mooring off the Libyan coast. The airplane was obviously misidentified.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero in Lugnano in Teverina: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all five crew members.

Crash of a Fiat BR.20 Cigogna at San Damiano AFB: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Fiat BR.20 Cigogna

Operator:

Registration:

MM21398

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

San Damiano AFB (Piacenza)

Emilia-Romagna

Country:

Italy

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances at San Damiano AFB. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a CRDA CANT Z.501 Gabbiano in Tagliano: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1939

Type of aircraft:

CRDA CANT Z.501 Gabbiano

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

While performing a night training exercice, the airplane crashed in hilly terrain located near Tagliano. All five crew members were killed.

Crash of a Caproni Ca.135 into the Mediterranean Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Caproni Ca.135

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

A group of seven Caproni Ca.135 departed Sardinia to be delivered to the Spanish Air Force in Palma de Mallorca. En route, the group encountered stormy weather. Two crew returned to Sardinia, two crew were able to reach Mallorca and three aircraft crashed into the sea. No trace of them nor the 15 crew members (five in each airplane) was found.
Crew:
Cpt Alfredo di Aichelburg, pilot,
Br Vincenzo Lotto, pilot,
Sgt Almerico Landuzzi, mechanic,
Av Giuseppe Mortellaro, radio operator,
Sgt Guido Pasini, gunner.

Crash of a Caproni Ca.135 into the Mediterranean Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Caproni Ca.135

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

A group of seven Caproni Ca.135 departed Sardinia to be delivered to the Spanish Air Force in Palma de Mallorca. En route, the group encountered stormy weather. Two crew returned to Sardinia, two crew were able to reach Mallorca and three aircraft crashed into the sea. No trace of them nor the 15 crew members (five in each airplane) was found.
Crew:
Cpt Luigi Scagliotti, pilot,
2nd Lt Guelfo Aldrovandi, pilot,
Sgt Luciano Cenerelli, mechanic,
Sgt Piero Gabrielli, radio operator,
Sgt Nicola Indrizzi, gunner.

Crash of a Caproni Ca.135 into the Mediterranean Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Caproni Ca.135

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

A group of seven Caproni Ca.135 departed Sardinia to be delivered to the Spanish Air Force in Palma de Mallorca. En route, the group encountered stormy weather. Two crew returned to Sardinia, two crew were able to reach Mallorca and three aircraft crashed into the sea. No trace of them nor the 15 crew members (five in each airplane) was found.
Crew:
Lt Pietro Berardi, pilot,
Br Bruno Pallotta, pilot,
Sgt Ferruccio Orgia, radio operator,
Av Giovanni De Rosa, mechanic,
Av Camillo Di Pasquantonio, gunner.