Brussels – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Elisabethville

On February 13, 1955 at 07:53 PM, Brussels – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Elisabethville experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-6, operated by SABENA - Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne, with the event recorded near Mt Costone dell'Acquasanta Lazio.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

29 people were known to be on board, 29 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 8, passengers on board: 21, passenger fatalities: 21, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed the Brussels-Haren Airport for Rome at 1717LT on an IFR flight plan. According to radio communications between the aircraft and the area controls at Zurich, Milan and Rome the flight appears to have been normal. The aircraft was in touch with Rome area control at 1929LT and the last message from it was received at 1953LT. At about 1950LT the aircraft after overflying the village of Leonessa and continued on a heading of 163° until it hit the slope of the Mt Costone dell'Acquasanta at an altitude of 1,700 meters after breaking off the tops of trees in a wood in line with the point of impact, near the end of its course. The wreckage was found one week later only and all 29 occupants have been killed, among them the Italian actress Marcella Mariani.

Aircraft reference details include registration OO-SDB, MSN 43063, year of manufacture 1947.