I-PLIF

On September 29, 1928 at 03:00 PM, I-PLIF experienced a crash involving Dornier Do J Wal, operated by Regia Aeronautica, with the event recorded near Valence Drôme.

The flight was categorized as ferry and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 60.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was returning to Italy from the Svalbard (Spitzberg) archipelago after taking part to a SAR mission for the Italian Dirigible named 'Italia' that crashed during the summer time. En route, while cruising along the Rhône River, some 2 km south of Valence, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was poor due to heavy rain falls. The captain decided to return and made a sharp turn to the right at low altitude. The seaplane hit the power cables of the electricity company of Vercors, stalled and crashed in the Rhône River. Three crew members, among them both pilots, were killed. Two mechanics were slightly injured. The aircraft named 'Marina II' was destroyed. Crew: Cpt Gian Luigi Pinzo, pilot, † Lt Tulio Crosio, copilot, † Off Giuseppe Della Gatta, engineer, † Mr. Codoniosto, mechanic, Mr. Barrachini, mechanic.

Aircraft reference details include registration I-PLIF, MSN 66, year of manufacture 1928.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 45.0613°, 4.9507°.