They say airplanes crash in three's... this is number two. I wonder if the space shuttle will be number three?
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/08/06/sicily.plane/index.html
Rescuers save at least 23 in air crash off Sicily
Plane with 39 aboard went down in sea near Italian island
ROME, Italy (CNN) -- At least 23 people were rescued Saturday after a small Tunisian plane with 39 people aboard went down in the waters off Sicily, Italian officials said.
Thirty-five passengers and four crew members were on the ATR 72 plane, which went down about 19 miles (31 kilometers) north of Palermo. ( Map )
The aircraft was operated by Tuninter, a subsidiary of TunisAir.
Thirteen people have been confirmed dead, and another three are missing, said port authorities in Palermo, a city on the northwestern tip of Sicily.
It is not clear if the plane crashed or if the pilot attempted a crash landing.
Palermo's chief prosecutor, Piero Grasso, told Italy's Rai Tre television that authorities have ruled out terrorism.
Italian air traffic control officials said the plane reported an engine problem around 3:20 p.m. (9:20 a.m. ET) and tried to make an emergency landing at Palermo's airport, but it landed in the sea 20 minutes later.
The ATR 72 commercial aircraft was headed from Bari in southeastern Italy to the Tunisian island of Djerba, a popular destination for European tourists.
Italian aviation authorities said the plane has been inspected four times in the last year, mostly recently in March, but no problems were detected.
CNN's Alessio Vinci contributed to this report.