zoggavia
c/n 4817
Model 1049H/01-03-143 Super Constellation N6921C
For United States Overseas Airlines, order cancelled, modified to 1049H/01-3-148 and delivered to Air Finance Co. 27 May 1975 and leased to Flying Tiger Line as N6921C FN 811, the same day. Sold to the airline 1 June 1959. Mortgaged to Chase Manhattan bank & Canadair 1 June 1959 to 24 January 1962. Leased to Lufthansa and painted in full old Lufthansa colors as N6921C 1 November 1959 - 31 March 1960.
N6919C seen here at San Francisco 27 April 1960, Clinton H. Groves Collection.
Still in Lufthansa colors end of April, but returned shortly afterwards to Flying Tiger Markings.
Lost in Pacific Ocean on 15 March 1962
being the worst accident involving a Super Constellation.
Flying Tigers Line Flight 739, a Lockheed L-1049H, was
chartered by the United States military. Originating at Travis Air
Force Base, California, the Military Transport was scheduled for
fueling stops at Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, Clark AFB and was to
terminate in Saigon.
The flight arrived at Guam at 11:14 GMT with the only irregularities on the way being minor maintenance on the ignition systems of engines #1 and #3 at Honolulu, a 30 minute delay at Honolulu because of stewardess complaints of inadequate rest facilities aboard, and minor maintenance at Wake Island (discrepancies in the #’s 1 and 3 engine ignition systems). The flight departed Guam at 12:57 GMT for an IFR flight to Clark AFB, Philippine Islands with an ETA of 19:16 GMT. This plane had flight crew of 11, and 96 U.S. soldiers, including 3 South Vietnam enlisted men.
According to the Civil Aeronautics Board’s (CAB) Accident Report, “The plane disappeared 1 1/2 hours after takeoff from Guam en route to Saigon.” And “the largest air/sea search” of that time “was initiated 5 hours after the plane’s fuel exhaustion time.” “The S/S T.L. Lenzen, a supertanker owned by Standard Oil, was in the vacinity and witnessed a vapor trail go behind a cloud,” and then, (what they thought was according to the depositions of the crew) “a covert operation due to the low flying plane.” The Accident Report continues, that the crew of the S/S T.L. Lenzen had also witnessed “a mid-air explosion at the approximate time & location of N6921C.” The Accident Report concludes, “Due to the lack of any substantiating evidence the Board is unable to state with any degree of certainty the exact fate of N6921C.”
Source Lorain County Photographer's blogg
The flight arrived at Guam at 11:14 GMT with the only irregularities on the way being minor maintenance on the ignition systems of engines #1 and #3 at Honolulu, a 30 minute delay at Honolulu because of stewardess complaints of inadequate rest facilities aboard, and minor maintenance at Wake Island (discrepancies in the #’s 1 and 3 engine ignition systems). The flight departed Guam at 12:57 GMT for an IFR flight to Clark AFB, Philippine Islands with an ETA of 19:16 GMT. This plane had flight crew of 11, and 96 U.S. soldiers, including 3 South Vietnam enlisted men.
According to the Civil Aeronautics Board’s (CAB) Accident Report, “The plane disappeared 1 1/2 hours after takeoff from Guam en route to Saigon.” And “the largest air/sea search” of that time “was initiated 5 hours after the plane’s fuel exhaustion time.” “The S/S T.L. Lenzen, a supertanker owned by Standard Oil, was in the vacinity and witnessed a vapor trail go behind a cloud,” and then, (what they thought was according to the depositions of the crew) “a covert operation due to the low flying plane.” The Accident Report continues, that the crew of the S/S T.L. Lenzen had also witnessed “a mid-air explosion at the approximate time & location of N6921C.” The Accident Report concludes, “Due to the lack of any substantiating evidence the Board is unable to state with any degree of certainty the exact fate of N6921C.”
Source Lorain County Photographer's blogg