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Aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79-III Sparviero
- Reg: MM23881 photos
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Serial #:
- Airline: Italy - Air Force
- Photo Date: Dec 31, 2014
- Uploaded: Apr 14, 2016
- Milano Malpensa - LIMC, Italy
Notes:
In July 21 1960, some of the ENI group technicians found in the Libyan desert the skeleton of an airman. On the skeleton, identifiable by uniform buttons, there was a flare gun, and the following metal plate: S.79 MM 23881, the plate by Giovanni Romanini, a first airman of Parma. On October 5th an another team of ENI group found the remains of a SM.79, with still visible (four digits out of five) the registration number and the identifier of the squadron, the 278ª Torpedo Bombers. The wreckage of the plane was in good general condition, with damage to propellers, broken nose and wings and the struts apparently extracted for landing. The plane is landed with the motors runnin,. we dont know if the radio equipment worked during the flight, but the plane has crossed the coast and wandered in the desert for over 400 kilometers. Romanini went looking for help , but died in the attempt ( he marched for more than 90 km but exhausted before falling to the ground fired a signal flare , unfortunately no one saw him and Romanini died in vain in his attempt). The bodies of three other crew members, never identified, They found one inside the wreck (probably the pilot Cimolini) killed or seriously injured in the landing: the skeleton showed glaring fractures, and commands still showed traces of blood. The other two where found outside the palne (one of them under a wing, probably to protect from the sun). The bodies of the other two men were never found ; the fact that on Romanini body was found a second clock , in addition to his watch , suggests that at least one other survivor had tried to cross the desert , but died during the march . The reason why the crew did not realize the macroscopic route error can never be fully explained.
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Notes
In July 21 1960, some of the ENI group technicians found in the Libyan desert the skeleton of an airman. On the skeleton, identifiable by uniform buttons, there was a flare gun, and the following metal plate: S.79 MM 23881, the plate by Giovanni Romanini, a first airman of Parma. On October 5th an another team of ENI group found the remains of a SM.79, with still visible (four digits out of five) the registration number and the identifier of the squadron, the 278ª Torpedo Bombers. The wreckage of the plane was in good general condition, with damage to propellers, broken nose and wings and the struts apparently extracted for landing. The plane is landed with the motors runnin,. we dont know if the radio equipment worked during the flight, but the plane has crossed the coast and wandered in the desert for over 400 kilometers. Romanini went looking for help , but died in the attempt ( he marched for more than 90 km but exhausted before falling to the ground fired a signal flare , unfortunately no one saw him and Romanini died in vain in his attempt). The bodies of three other crew members, never identified, They found one inside the wreck (probably the pilot Cimolini) killed or seriously injured in the landing: the skeleton showed glaring fractures, and commands still showed traces of blood. The other two where found outside the palne (one of them under a wing, probably to protect from the sun). The bodies of the other two men were never found ; the fact that on Romanini body was found a second clock , in addition to his watch , suggests that at least one other survivor had tried to cross the desert , but died during the march . The reason why the crew did not realize the macroscopic route error can never be fully explained.Camera
Canon EOS 7D Mk II | Canon EF-S 15-85-
Aircraft
- Reg: MM23881 photos
-
Aircraft:
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79-III Sparviero
- Airline: Italy - Air Force
-
Serial #:
-
Photo Location
-
Milano Malpensa - LIMC
- Italy
