Fiat CR.32 capped in Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain on 15 January 1949.

 On 15 January 1949, an aviation incident unfolded in the skies above Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain, that quietly marked the twilight of an era. A Fiat CR.32, operated in its Spanish license-built form as the Hispano HA-132L “Chirri”, suffered a rollover accident during landing. The aircraft came to rest inverted on a field near the airfield. Fortunately, the pilot, Sergeant Antonio Gómez Jiménez, emerged from the mishap without injury.

Originally developed in Italy during the early 1930s by aeronautical engineer Celestino Rosatelli, the CR.32 was lauded for its robust construction and exceptional agility. It served with distinction in the Spanish Civil War, where it became a favored aircraft among Nationalist forces. Though many nations phased out biplanes by the end of World War II, Spain retained the CR.32—particularly the domestically produced “Chirri” variant—as a symbol of national heritage and enduring reliability.