Italian Forces

The Bruno Mussolini’s death

The wreck of the Piaggio P.108B, military code MM22003, of Regia Aeronautica 274th Squadriglia Bombardamento Grande Raggio (Long Range Bombardment) destroyed near Pisa, on 7 August 1941, by the fatal accident which caused the death of Capt. Bruno Mussolini, commander of the same 274th Squadriglia and son of the Duce Benito Mussolini and Rachele Guidi, and of other two crewmember, the Lt. pilot Francesco Sacconi and the Warrant Office flight engineer Angelo Trezzini, while the other five on board saved oneself. The accident’s origin was an unexpected dropping of the pressure of hydraulic system just after the take-off from Pisa with flaps extended. Retracted the flaps the pilots decided to turn around and to return at the base. During the final approach to Pisa Airport, with landing gear up, the aircraft banked too sharply, lost speed and stalled banging into the terrain. That according many sources(according other loss of power), an in effect the few photos of the accident seeming confirm an impact on the terrain nose down, typical of a stall. But it seems to me that the only authentic technical accident report, in my opinion still unknown (supposing in existence), can say the real event’s sequence. An unhappy coincidence: also the Bruno Mussolini’s widow, Gina Ruberti, dead tragically, for a fast boat accident, on 4 May 1946, during the Como Lake, for a fast boat accident during a night tour on Como Lake with a friend and two English officers. Victor Sierra