Date:	Tuesday 18 July 1933
Time:	c. 15:40
Type:	CMASA/Dornier Do J Wal Fiat A-22 Cabina
Owner/operator:	Aero Espresso Italiana (AEI)
Registration:	I-AZEE
MSN:	147
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Aegean Sea -   Greece
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Athens, Greece
Destination airport:	Rhodes, Greece
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
The hydroplane took off from Phaleron at 3:10 p.m. giving her position every 10 minutes, but the transmission of signals stopped half an hour after her departure while flying over the sea strip between Cape Sounion and Makronissos island, where it was observed by ships passing by there.

At first, nobody was alarmed as the wireless apparatus could well have suddenly stopped functioning or the plane might have entered in a "zone of silence" where the short waves can be absorbed. Only after the Rhodes Station replied that no contact from the plane was everr received, uneasiness was spread out but, again, the 3-hour limit for the complete trip to Rhodes was left to pass. When that time expired, and as the Syra Station confirmed that the plane did not pass over the island, an alarm of danger was issued at Phaleron.

The most acceptable supposition for the cause of the accident was that the engines were in fact too old and should have been replaced since the establishment of the Athens - Rhodes air link, three years before. This had been competently known to the Company in Athens but nobody paid attention, although this was the third accident AEI experienced since last year.

In conclusion, the Greek daily press, and especially "Vradyni", insisted that the accident happened because of old material and low level flight. Both accusations were then rejected by the Aero Espresso.

Every effort of the Greek Air Force and the Greek warships and seaplanes failed to locate the plane or the people on-board; two passengers and four crew members. Nothing was ever found of the aircraft, the mail, the passengers or the crew.

1. "Vradyni" Newspaper, "The tragic air accident", p.1 & 6, Athens, Wednesday 19 July 1933 [Library of the Hellenic Parliament : http://srv-web1.parliament.gr/display_doc.asp?item=47343&seg=47864 {on this document see pg 81 & 86}]
2. A. Xanthopoulos, "Aerophilatelists", "Philatelic Echo" No 35/36, p.68, Piraeus 1967
3. Vincent Prange, "Aero Espresso Italiana S.A.", p. 71. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1998
4. http://airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_I-4.html
5. http://aerobernie.bplaced.net/AEI.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Mar-2008 23:03	zerocinquanta	Added
02-Sep-2011 05:00	babaduma	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
28-Jun-2013 06:57	Anon.	Updated [Time, Narrative]
28-Apr-2017 16:29	AGV	Updated [Source]
03-May-2020 09:24	TB	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities]
04-May-2020 17:48	TB	Updated [Aircraft type]
02-Jul-2020 19:13	Sergey L.	Updated [Cn, Source]
07-Jun-2023 01:14	Ron Averes	Updated [[Cn, Source]]
02-Dec-2023 16:35	TB	Updated [Location, Damage]