Istanbul - Athens

On December 24, 1929 at 01:00 PM, Istanbul - Athens experienced a crash involving CMASA Wal, operated by Aero Espresso Italiana, with the event recorded near Ágios Efstrátios Island North Aegean / <U+0392><U+03CC><U+03C1>e<U+03B9><U+03BF> <U+0391><U+03B9><U+03B3>a<U+03AF><U+03BF>.

The flight was categorized as postal (mail) and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The seaplane departed Istanbul at 1000LT on a mail flight to Athens with a crew of five on board. At 1230LT, the radio operator reported his position over Lesbos Island. About 30 minutes later, the crew encountered engine problems and attempted to ditch the aircraft in the Aegean Sea off the Ágios Efstrátios Island. SAR operations were initiated but no trace of the aircraft nor the 5 crew members was ever found, among them Captain Achille Rossi.

Aircraft reference details include registration I-AZDB, MSN 079, year of manufacture 1928.