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Help Needed PAA Crash 1931

IAirAllie From United States, joined May 2004, 2679 posts, RR: 19
Posted (1 year 3 months 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 514 times:

Does anyone have any information about the following crash? I've googled but found very little.
PAA 08/12/1931 Sikorsky S-38 (NC-5933)
Location: Ponce, Puerto Rico
The aircraft hit a submerged object in the Ponce Harbor. The aircraft was scrapped on the 7th of October the same year.

My Grandmother told me a while back that my Grandfather was in a crash on a PAA flying boat on the way to do some business in Puerto Rico. The plane hit something on landing and navy boats in the vicinity rescued them. My grandfather was impressed by another passenger who refused to leave without his clients paperwork and ended up hiring that guy who eventually became a junior partner in his law firm. From the vague details my Grandmother gave me I determined this had to be the accident.

Any details anyone has would really be appreciate it. Thanks.

Enough about flying lets talk about me!

2 replies: All unread, jump to last

Eghansen From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 1, posted (1 year 3 months 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 486 times:

Not really sure what information you are looking for, but here goes:

NC 5933 was the S-38 prototype (first one produced) and went into service with the New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Line (NYRBA) in July 1928. It was an S38A. It was sold to Pan Am on 15-9-1930.

I am not sure whether it could be technically called a crash. Generally, if an S-38 did crash, it would sink and would not be scrapped.

There would probably not be any information available about the crash or collision because it happened all the time. Pan Am purchased 38 copies of the S38A and S38B. They were all sold or retired by 1940. The following of them crashed:

NC 9107 Crashed 10-3-1934
NC 197H Crashed 19-9-1929
NC 75K Crashed 1938
NC 145M Crashed 1933
NC 944M Crashed 14-6-1932
NC 16V Crashed 24-11-1933
NC 309-N Crashed April 1931
NC 17V Crashed 10-4-1934

Also:
NC 8020 Damaged beyond repair 30-12-1929
NC 8044 Damaged beyond repair 26-5-1933
NC 21V Destroyed 11-12-1941
NC 40V Destroyed 13-8-1935

A crash was not such a big deal in those day, especially of nobody died.

All this information is from "Pan Am - An Airline and its Aircraft" by R.E.G. Davies

PA515 From New Zealand, joined Nov 2007, 191 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (1 year 3 months 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 374 times:

From 'Pictorial History of Pan American World Airways' P. St. John Turner

Appendix III, Aircraft Fleet List
Sikorsky S-38 No. bought by Pan American---39. First delivery---31/10/28.
Identity NC-5933 c/n 14-A Delivery 15/9/30
Fate/Remarks Taken over with NYRBA purchase. Hit submerged object in Ponce Harbour, San Juan, 12/8/31. Sc 7/10/31 (Sc---Scrapped)

Nothing in the main chapters about this incident.

PA515

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