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Registration Number NC5137
Salt Bath
This aircraft is a Travel Air 2000, S/N 461 (ATC #30), manufactured
April 24, 1928 by Travel Air Manufacturing Co., Wichita, KS. It left
the factory with a 90 HP Curtiss OX-5 engine, S/N 4124. It
weighed 2,100 pounds.
It sold the same day by H.C. Lippiatt of Hollywood, CA, a
dealer in Travel Air aircraft, and flown away.
It landed at Tucson May 1, 1928 flown by Ralph Monter inbound
from El Paso, TX headed for Santa Monica, CA. Chances are that
Monter was hired by Lippiatt to fly the airplane to the west
coast.
On may May 4, 1928 the airplane sold to Richard H. Williams of San
Diego, CA. On November 8, 1928 the airplane was, “wrecked by
falling into San Diego Bay…aerobatic maneuver, pilot
thrown from ship after safety belt broke.” Pilot Lew
O’Keefe (Private #4410) of San Diego was killed. His
passenger, Marvin “Max” Dorland suffered no injuries
(perhaps he parachuted?). The fuselage and engine were salvaged.
As a lesson of what not to do with an airframe that has been
immersed in sea water, the wreck was sold to San Diego Air
Service on November 8, 1928 to be repaired. The fabric was removed,
a coating of red lead was applied to the fuselage tubing and
four new wings were purchased from the factory. It was still
not rebuilt as of February 16, 1929.
As of March, 1930 the correct decision was made, “not
to fly or re-license this ship. Dismantled.” The registration
was cancelled march 20, 1930.
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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: June, 2005 REVISED: 09/12/11
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