LOCKHEED VEGA Model 5 NC9424

GONE TO CHILE

This airplane is a Lockheed Vega Model 5 (S/N 78; ATC #93) manufactured during May 1929 by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, CA.  It left the factory with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp B engine (S/N 1554) of 425 HP.  It was a five-place airplane.

It sold on June 13, 1929 to United States Air Transport, Inc., Washington, DC.  NC9424 arrived at Tucson on June 15, 1929 flown by G.W. Bransom.  He carried one passenger: Clive Brown.  Based at Newark, NJ, they were eastbound from Los Angeles, CA to El Paso, TX in this brand-new airplane.

On July 5, 1929 the airplane sold to Washington-New York Air Line, Washington, DC.  They had it converted to a six-place airplane under ATC #169 and sold it to Washington Flying Service, Washington, DC on November 22, 1929. 

The NASM record gives no hint as to its service between November 1929 and when it sold on May 15, 1930 to Pan American-Grace Airways, Inc., New York, NY.  It was exported as of July 1, 1930 and flown under U.S. registration in South America, principally Chile.  It was inspected periodically by CAA examiners at Santiago.

Lockheed Vega NC9424, December 1932

Photograph, above, shared with us by friend of dmairfield.org, Tim Kalina. It shows NC9424, at left, in Pan American-Grace Airways livery at rest outside a hangar with a trimotor lurking within. Pencilled on the back of the image is "Morón 12/1932" (Morón, Argentina). In the original picture, that squarish form on the ground just to the right of center appears to be an underground fuel bowser. Another image of the airplane may be seen here.

NC9424 suffered an accident at La Palmos Airport, Lima, Peru on May 8, 1935.  Its license was cancelled in CAA files as “washed out”.  No further information.

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UPLOADED: 06/01/06 REVISED: 02/05/08