What happened
The aircraft, a three-engine military transport plane, departed from Trapani Airport with the objective of transferring troops to North Africa. The destination was Tunis. Shortly after takeoff, while in the initial climb or early cruise phase, the airframe came under attack from enemy forces.
The machine sustained critical damage from the hostile fire and lost control. It subsequently descended into the sea. There were no survivors; all 20 occupants perished in the incident. The crew consisted of a pilot, an observer, a radio operator, a mechanic, and an air gunner. The remaining fifteen individuals on board were passengers assigned to the troop transport mission.
Findings
The official investigation concluded that the accident was caused by enemy fire. The aircraft was shot down during its flight from Trapani to Tunis, resulting in the total loss of the airframe and all personnel aboard.