Airliner

This aircraft was a Fokker F-10A tri-motor, (S/N 1054; ATC# 96), manufactured during July 1929 by the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ.  It left the factory with three Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines of 410 HP each.  It sold in 1929 to Standard Air Lines, Inc., Los Angeles, CA.  Standard was operated by the Aero Corporation of California.  Our pilots Jack Frye and Paul Richter were principals of Aero, and pilots for Standard.

NC580K landed twice at Tucson, both times in Standard Air Lines livery.  The first landing on was on August 6, 1929.  The pilot was Harold J. Kelsey.  He carried four passengers in and 8 out of Tucson.  They were eastbound, probably to El Paso to catch the overnight train to Sweetwater, TX on the way to the east coast.

The second landing was the return flight on August 7, 1929.  The pilot was John Martin, who also carried four passengers in and 8 out of Tucson.  They were westbound toward Los Angeles, CA.

NC580K changed hands twice more.  On May 8, 1930 it was sold to Western Air Express, Inc., Los Angeles, CA.  Then on October 9, 1930 it sold to Southern Air Fast Express, Inc., Dallas, TX.  It suffered an accident at Love Field, Dallas on November 22, 1930 and was “washed out”.  Damage was estimated at $10,000 and the decision was made not to rebuild.  No further information.

UPLOADED: 07/07/06 REVISED: 03/22/08