Castelvetrano

The three engine airplane departed Castelvetrano on a flight to Naples-Capodichino, carrying 15 passengers and four crew members. It crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere en route, maybe in Sicily after being shot down by enemy fire from the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces (MAAF). An intense military activity took place in Sicily at this time. Three crew members and three passengers were killed.
Crew:
Oblt Herman Zander, pilot, †
Ofw Damian Schmitz, radio operator, †
Stfw Georg Neier, flight engineer, †
Uffz Herlinger.

The three engine airplane departed Tunis in the early evening bound for Castelvetrano carrying wounded soldiers. At that time, the aircraft was heavily loaded. On a night approach to Castelvetrano, weather conditions were poor with low clouds and rain falls. The first approach was abandoned by the captain because he was unable to locate the runway due to poor visibility and the fact that the airplane's approach lights were out of order. During the second approach, the aircraft was properly aligned with the runway but the speed was too high (160 km/h). During the last segment, the captain reduced the engine power to idle when the airplane stalled and hit the runway surface. Upon impact, the right wing caught fire and the airplane went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. Four soldiers (three Germans and one French) were killed while 33 other occupants were injured. The airplane was destroyed by fire.
Crew:
Lt Alfredo Bonsignore, pilot,
Sgt Ugo Antonellini, pilot,
Sgt Armando Marchetti, flight engineer,
Sgt Beniamino Valobra, radio navigator,
Sgt Pietro Punzi, air gunner.

En route from Tunis to Castelvetrano, Sicily, the three-engine airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. All four crew members were killed.