What happened
The incident occurred during a flight over the Mediterranean Sea, specifically in waters located off the coast of Sicily. The aircraft came under attack from Allied forces. As a direct result of this engagement, the airframe was struck and lost control. It subsequently descended into the water, leading to a total loss of the craft. All 20 occupants aboard were killed in the event. There were no survivors reported from the crash site.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the aircraft being shot down by Allied fire. The engagement resulted in catastrophic damage that made continued flight impossible, forcing the impact with the sea surface.