TURIN — 1949 · Major Tragedy
The Superga Air Disaster — Grande Torino
On 4 May 1949, the aircraft carrying Torino football club, known as 'Grande Torino' and the dominant side in Italy, was returning from a friendly against Benfica in Lisbon when, preparing to land in thick fog, it struck the rear wall of the Basilica of Superga on a hill above Turin. All 31 people aboard were killed: players (most of them Italy internationals), coaching staff, crew and three well-known sports journalists. At the request of rival clubs it was declared champion on 6 May, with all sides fielding youth teams in the four remaining games. The disaster brought national mourning to Italy, and a memorial is held at the basilica every year.
- Date
- 1949
- Place
- Basilica of Superga, Piedmont, Italy, Turin, IT
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 45.0805, 7.7676 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 3 May 1949Torino played a friendly against Benfica in Lisbon.
- 4 May 1949The return flight hit the Basilica of Superga in fog; 31 people died.
- 6 May 1949Torino were proclaimed 1948-49 champions.
- May 1949Half a million people lined the streets of Turin for the funeral.
Sources
- BBC Sport — The plane crash that killed Serie A's champions and their English coach bbc.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Superga air disaster en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC Sport
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from the 1940s
Categories
Collections
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.