Tunis - Castelvetrano
Flight / Schedule
Tunis - Castelvetrano
Aircraft
Savoia-Marchetti SM.75Registration
I-MOLE
MSN
32070
Year of Manufacture
1939
Operator
Regia AeronauticaDate
May 7, 1943 at 11:00 PM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Ambulance
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Crash Location
Castelvetrano Sicily
Region
Europe • Italy
Coordinates
37.6829°, 12.7955°
Crash Cause
Human factor
Narrative Report
On May 7, 1943 at 11:00 PM, Tunis - Castelvetrano experienced a crash involving Savoia-Marchetti SM.75, operated by Regia Aeronautica, with the event recorded near Castelvetrano Sicily.
The flight was categorized as ambulance and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.
37 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 33 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 10.8%.
Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 32, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft left Tunis Airport in the early evening bound for Castelvetrano with wounded soldiers on board. 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. The approach lights of the aircraft were out of order at that time. 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 aircraft plunged and hit the runway surface. The right wing caught fire and the aircraft went out of control and crashed. Four soldiers (three Germans and one French) were killed while all 33 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. Crew: Ten Alfredo Bonsignore, pilot, Sgt Ugo Antonellini, pilot, Sgt Armando Marchetti, flight engineer, Sgt Beniamino Valobra, radio navigator, Sgt Pietro Punzi, air gunner.
Aircraft reference details include registration I-MOLE, MSN 32070, year of manufacture 1939.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 37.6829°, 12.7955°.
Fatalities
Total
4
Crew
0
Passengers
4
Other
0
Crash Summary
The aircraft left Tunis Airport in the early evening bound for Castelvetrano with wounded soldiers on board. 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. The approach lights of the aircraft were out of order at that time. 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 aircraft plunged and hit the runway surface. The right wing caught fire and the aircraft went out of control and crashed. Four soldiers (three Germans and one French) were killed while all 33 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. Crew: Ten Alfredo Bonsignore, pilot, Sgt Ugo Antonellini, pilot, Sgt Armando Marchetti, flight engineer, Sgt Beniamino Valobra, radio navigator, Sgt Pietro Punzi, air gunner.
Cause: Human factor
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
5
Passengers On Board
32
Estimated Survivors
33
Fatality Rate
10.8%
Known people on board: 37
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Tunis - Castelvetrano
Operator
Regia AeronauticaFlight Type
Ambulance
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Region / Country
Europe • Italy
Aircraft Details
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