Zone
Sicily

Crash of a Piaggio P1.HH HammerHead off Levanzo Island

Date & Time: May 31, 2016 at 1140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piaggio P.1HH HammerHead
Operator:
Registration:
CPX621
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Trapani - Trapani
Location:
Trapani
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Based on a Piaggio P.180 Avanti, the Piaggio P.1HH HammerHead is a drone prototype. Engaged in a series of test as part of the certification program, the twin engine aircraft left Trapani-Vincenzo Florio Airport at 1120LT for a local test flight. About 20 minutes later, the contact was lost with the ground station and the aircraft crashed into the sea about 8 km north of the Levanzo Island. The aircraft was lost.

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 Junkers JU.52/3mg5e into the Mediterranean Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
TE+DQ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tunis - Trapani
MSN:
6977
YOM:
1941
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
En route from Tunis to Trapani, the three engine airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. All six occupants were killed, among them two doctors.
Crew:
Obfw Paul Heinze, pilot,
Uffz Helmut Petsch, observer,
Fw Albert Schröder, mechanic,
Ogefr Alfred Stroberger, air gunner.
Passengers:
Günter Kratzert,
Eduart Stockhardt.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 429 Wellington VIII off Trapani: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 429 Wellington VIII
Operator:
Registration:
HX471
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Location:
Trapani
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Luqa at 0620LT on a shipping strike in the Mediterranean Sea. It crashed in unknown circumstances off Trapani and was lost. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Lennard Courtney Laver, pilot,
Sgt Benjamin Watson Shearer, pilot,
F/Sgt Allan Thomas Gell, observer,
F/Lt John Francombe, observer,
Sgt Eric Frank Saggers, air gunner,
Sgt David Alexander Smith, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m near Trapani: 20 killed

Date & Time: Nov 13, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
G6+AZ
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Trapani - Tunis
MSN:
6536
YOM:
1939
Location:
Trapani
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
The three engine airplane departed Trapani Airport on a flight to Tunis, transferring troops to North Africa. After takeoff from Trapani, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All 20 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Alfred Voigt, pilot,
Ofw Karl Schäfer, observer,
Uffz Jakob Wißmann, radio operator,
Ogfr Heinrich Zöllner, mechanic,
Ofw Karl Esser, air gunner.
Passengers:
Ogfr Werner Baltes,
Flg Hans-Georg Büchner,
Gefr Willi Degner,
Flg Heinz Hildebrand,
Gefr Heinrich Krebs,
Gefr Alois Körbl,
Ofw Rolf Leese,
Flg Walter Lüsebrink,
Uffz Alfons Mayr,
Flg Erwin Meister,
Flg Erhard Raabe,
Ogfr Karl Roeder,
Flg Berthold Stegemann,
Uffz Albert Stolecki,
Ogfr Josef Würz.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mg8e into the Mediterranean Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 13, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
G6+AS
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tunis - Trapani
MSN:
3202
YOM:
1942
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route from Tunis to Trapani, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Obfw Walter Ludwig, pilot,
Uffz Hans Deppisch, radio operator,
Fw Johann Waldhör, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m into the Mediterranean Sea: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 13, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
G6+FN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tunis - Trapani
MSN:
6450
YOM:
1939
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route from Tunis to Trapani, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. The pilot survived and two other crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Hermann Schmidt, observer,
Uffz Heinrich Grotzk, radio operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 in Rome: 20 killed

Date & Time: May 19, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti SM.75
Operator:
Registration:
I-MELE
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Rome – Trapani – Tripoli
MSN:
32052
YOM:
1939
Location:
Rome-Urbe
Lazio
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
The three engine airplane departed Rome on a flight to Eritrea with intermediate stops in Trapani and Tripoli. After takeoff from Rome-Urbe Airport, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It collided with trees located past the runway end, lost height and crashed, bursting into flames. All 20 occupants were killed, among them Captain Rossaldi.
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