Municipality of Olgiate Olona
This website and the spirit that animates it arise from the desire to honor the memory of the plane crash of Olgiate Olona of June 26, 1959 and the seventy immortal lives whose mortal body fell to the ground that day; moreover, this website is intended to build bonds of solidarity with the persons linked by blood, love and friendship to the seventy immortal lives.
the memory of June 26, 1959
President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano (1925-2023) expressed on several occasions his appreciation for the commemorative events of June 26, 1959, that he rewarded with his medal in 2011. In 2019, President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella sent a message of ideal participation to the ceremony of the 60th anniversary, and greeting to the relatives of the seventy immortal lives.
Persons, institutions and enterprises share the spirit of the commemorative events inspired to June 26, 1959 and support the commemoration in various ways.
Commemoration of June 26, 2024
Commemoration of June 26, 2024
Stay updated on the news and the events promoted in memory of June 26, 1959
Featured story - July 1st, 2024
After the 65th anniversary, masses in suffrage for the seventy immortal lives
After the 65th anniversary, the memory of the plane crash of Olgiate Olona continues with the prayer. On Saturday August 3, 2024, at 5.30 p.m. in the Prevostal church of Santi Stefano e Lorenzo of Olgiate Olona will be celebrated the first of the twelve masses of suffrage until June 2026; the immortal lives born in the month of August will be remembered: Olivia Pattison Heminway Kammerer, Manuel E. Rey, Natalina Suardi Sarchi.
Commemoration of 65th anniversary of the plane crash
June 27, 2024 - On June 26, 2024, the ceremony for the 65th anniversary of the plane crash was held in the ancient Collegiate Prevostal church of Santi Stefano e Lorenzo of Olgiate Olona. The promoting staff invited with a personal letter all those who supported the commemorative events from 2010 to 2024, and some relatives of the seventy immortal lives coming from Italy and the United States of America attended the ceremony. The reading of the names of the seventy immortal lives was followed by the memorial mass for the seventy immortal lives and their deceased in which the coadjutor Don Giovanni Lorenzo Calastri held the homily The hope of the Risen Christ; the Litany of the Saints was preceded by the reading of the names of the deceased of the seventy immortal lives (family members, friends and supporters of commemorative events) who passed away from 2010 to 2024; offers have been collected which will finance the masses of suffrage for the seventy immortal lives to be celebrated in the Prevostal church of Olgiate Olona from August 2024 to June 2026. In the second part of the ceremony, the deputy mayor Leonardo Richiusa read the speech of mayor Giovanni Montano (unable at the last moment to attend the event) and awarded the authors of the five deserving works of the 14th edition of the educational project in memory of June 26, 1959 (with a certificate of merit, the first classified read his work and received the book-coupon given as a gift by Studio di architettura Renzo Canavesi of Olgiate Olona); Giorgia Tracanzan’s work In the hearts of people was rewarded with the 2024 Special Award; certificates of thanks were awarded to the regent school director Anselmo Pietro Bosello and to Esmeralda Schepis, director of the general and administrative services of the school.
Commemoration of June 26, 2024, documents and photo galleries
Fourteenth edition of the educational project: the five works awarded
A group of walking friends from Senago visiting the memorial monument
June 26, 2024 - On the day of the 65th anniversary of the plane crash of Olgiate Olona, and just a few hours before the commemorative ceremony in the Prevosta church, on the morning of June 26 a group of friends from Senago who monthly make excursions on Lombard routes and paths stopped at the memorial monument of the plane crash where they met Alberto Colombo who illustrated to them the tragedy of 1959 and its protagonists, as well as the commemorative events that perpetuate the memory of the seventy immortal lives.
Friday June 26, 1959. The town of Olgiate Olona was miraculously saved from a plane crash (the fifth worst disaster of civil Aviation in Italy) which shocked all the world: the Trans World Airlines (TWA) four-engine Lockheed L-1649A Super Constellation Starliner Jetstream (reg. No. N7313C) - flight 891: Athens-Rome-Milan-Paris-Chicago - just taken off from Milan-Malpensa Airport during a storm, was struck by lightning and crashed in flames losing the engines and the rudder; the fuselage with seventy people on board (they were from eight Countries: USA, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Chile, Germany, Egypt, Israel) crashed near Cascina Agnese missing the town for a few dozen of meters. All the people on board perished and the prompt intervention of rescuers was vain. The corpses were recovered on June 27, 1959, and the coffins were brought to the basilica of St. John the Baptist in Busto Arsizio where on June 29, 1959, the funerals were celebrated. The investigation of the Judiciary ended with the dismissal of the case, while the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) confirmed that the breaking up in flight was due to a lightning that ignited the fuel vapors contained in tank No. 7 coming out from the vent outlets.
The oral tale handed down by eyewitnesses became unlikely and turned into legend. In 2008 Alberto Colombo reconstructed the plane crash in his book Il disastro aereo del 26 giugno 1959 a Olgiate Olona (translation: the plane crash of Olgiate Olona of June 26, 1959) and the memory of the fact came back to life thanks to the initiatives promoted by the Municipal Administration: restoration of the memorial monument, Commemoration of 50th anniversary (2009) with naming of via 26 giugno street, commemorative stone, “Ape” car symbol of solidarity in memory of seventy immortal lives (in operation until January 2016), book Settanta vite immortali. Volume commemorativo 50° anniversario disastro aereo 26 giugno 1959 Olgiate Olona (translation: Seventy immortal lives. Volume commemorating the 50th anniversary of Olgiate Olona plane crash of June 26, 1959); educational project with the students in the eighth grade of Dante Alighieri school of Olgiate Olona started in 2010; in 2011, medal of the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano (acknowledgment of the high value of the commemorative events of June 26, 1959) and stone in memory of the 118 victims of Milan-Linate air disaster; in 2013, publication of this website; in 2016, total conservative restoration of the memorial monument; in 2019, message of greeting to the relatives of the seventy immortal lives, and of ideal participation in the 60th anniversary sent by the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella.
Fatality struck seventy lives and tortured only their mortal bodies which fell to the ground: their spirits rose to immortality instead. For the seventy immortal lives of June 26, 1959 is worth what the Bible says: The souls of righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them anymore (Sap 3,1). The relatives of these righteous have silently and with dignity turned their great sorrow into a gift: for their loved ones, for new generations, for the community. We are not allowed to change the History already happened. What was done in Olgiate Olona so far and what still will be done is only the essential that we are allowed to do: pray, honor the immortal lives and their loved ones by remembering and with acts of solidarity.
Alberto Colombo
Messages received
July 2, 2024
I am sorry not to have attended the ceremony on last June 26th, due to institutional commitments that cannot be postponed, and I sincerely thank you for the demonstration of gratitude received(...)
Esmeralda
June 27, 2024
Thank you Mr. Colombo for having allowed us the possibility to learn the event and be able to commemorate it; it will remain for us a pleasant meeting (...)
Group of friends of Senago
June 26, 2024
My sincere thanks for being a constant source of comfort for our family, as well as the families of all of the victims of June 26,1959. I can’t thank you enough. I am so grateful for (...)
John
June 26, 2024
My prayers and thoughts to you all (...)
Angelo
June 26, 2024
Hi! Once again my heart full, thinking of all of you having the Memorial today. Thank you for all you do. Love you all (...)
Judy
June 26, 2024
Today, we look back 65 years to the horrible plane accident that took 70 lives. As always, it is of considerable consolation to the affected families that the people of Olgiate Olona make such special effort to remember (...)
George
June 26, 2024
My thoughts and prayers will be with you and the rest of the town of Olgiate Olona on June 26th and every other day of the year. Thank you so much and God Blees you and the whole town for remembering (...)
Don
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