Is it a duck ? ... no, it is a ditched DC-3 !

 

Credit for these photos: www.endi.com

Description of the incident:
Date: 04.04.2001
Time: ca 12.40
Type: Douglas C-49K-DO (DC-3A)
Operator: Roblex Aviation
Registration: N19BA
C/n: 4986
Year built: 1942
Crew: 0 fatalities / 2 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 0 fatalities / 2 on board
Location: San Juan, PR (USA)
Phase: Initial Climb
Nature: Training
Flight: San Juan-Luis Munoz Marin IAP, PR - San Juan-Luis Munoz Marin IAP,
PR (Flightnumber )
Remarks:
DC-3 N19BE was being used for a training flight out of San Juan-Luis Munoz
Marin Airport to practice ILS approaches. After performing a touch-and-go
on Runway 10, apparently both engines failed. The crew ditched the plane in
the laguna La Torrecilla, one mile East of the airport.
Credit for this info goes to: Harro Ranter's Aviation Safety Network, always worth a visit.

N19BA at Opa Locka in 1999
This is how N19BA (4986) looked when I came across it at Opa Locka, february 1999. The RH prop has been taken off.

History of this Douglas C-49K:
Originally ordered by TWA as DC-3-455 NC34977, it was required for the war effort and rerouted to the USAAF as C-49K 43-1999, as such delivered 22oct42. But TWA got it yet, in 1945 and registered as NC44897. It was bought by Beldex Corp. in 30apr52. In 1953 it was registered in the name of Diamond Alkali Corp, as N23D. Another change of owner took place in 1963, registered as DC-3A N230D for Dayton Steel Foundry Co.
In oct67 it changed to Burnside Ott. Aviation Training Center and in 1970 to Mr.C.Hall (Miami,FL). This did not last long and in 1971 it was registered Edgeco Air Sales Inc., Middlesboro,MA. But again some training-minded people saw a future in cn4986 as it was bought by Airline Aviation Academy Inc., Griffin,GA (1974).
Alas, this lasted not long either, as in the next year it was bought by Air Go Inc., t/a Air Commuter Express, Warrentown,NC. The books were altered in 1977, as it was put in the name of A.Hulsey, t/a Air Commuter Express. It was reregistered in 28apr80 to J.C.Bowman (Anderson,SC), t/a Bo-S-Aire. It was reregistered to N19BA.
On 31jan89 it was registered to Century Airlines, Pontiac,MI and to Piedmont Air Cargo in may 1993.
The above info was learned from the book The Douglas DC-3 and its predecessors, by Air-Britain (1984) and the Update 2 & World Survey, also by Air-Britain. It seems that in 2002 we can hope for a totally revised issue, by Air-Britain, and we can only hope that it will suffer no further delay in publication !.

At time of incident, registered thus:
N-number N19BA
Aircraft Serial Numbe 4986
Aircraft Manufacturer DOUGLAS
Model DC3A
Engine Manufacturer P & W
Model R1830 SERIES
Aircraft Year 1942
Owner Name ROBLEX AVIATION
Registration Date 25-Jun-1999
Airworthiness Certificate Type Standard

This was info was obtained from www.landings.com:
www.landings.com a good link for serial verification and much more.
Look for SEARCH in the Aviation Directory at the end of the page (and proceed to N-number database, Basic Search).


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