Superga Air Disaster

The Superga air disaster took place Wednesday, May 4, 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino AC football, popularly known as La Grande Torino, crashed into the Superga hill near of Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the team, and the plan 's crew. The team was returning from a farewell match for José Ferreira against Benfica in Lisbon. The Italian Fiat G212CP Airlines carrying the team visited a storm at the approach of Turin and the conditions encountered by low clouds and poor visibility. After descending to be able to fly the aircraft visually clipped a wall near the Basilica of Superga and crashed. Italian authorities have cited low clouds, poor radio and a navigation error as factors contributing to the accident. The emotional impact of the accident on the Italian sports fans has been profound, as it has claimed the lives of actors in a legendary team that won the last Serie A title before playing the league was suspended in 1944 by World War II and then returned after the conflict to win four consecutive titles (1946-1949).

At the time of the accident Torino AC led Serie A with four games left to play in the season. The club carried on the ground by his team of young (Primavera), and a sign of respect their opponents in each of these meetings (Genoa, Palermo, Sampdoria, Fiorentina) also sent their youth sides. Primavera won each of their matches. The disaster has seriously weakened the country’s national side which has included up to 10 players to Turin. Turin itself does not claim to another title until 1976. On the whole squad only one player has remained: Sauro Toma missed the trip to Portugal because of injury. The Hungarian star Ladislao Kubala, who was to give a guest performance in Lisbon, has been re-united with his wife and son. The boy was ill and remained Kubala Back to help care for him, the absence of death per trip. The son of the captain Valentino Mazzola, Sandro, has become an internationally acclaimed actor in his own right in the years 1960, playing with Inter Milan. Both father and his son were wearing the number 10 jersey.