- |
Construction
commenced as L-649-84-12 for Eastern Airlines. Modified on the production
line as L749-79-22 and completed as L-749-79-32 for Aerlinte (Ireland).
(Source: 2)
|
29SEP47 |
Export
CofA E-13438 issued. (Source: 2)
|
29/30SEP47 |
Delivered
to Aerlinte as EI-ADD Saint Kevin. (Source: 2)
|
08OCT47 |
Registered
EI-ADD. (Source: 2)
|
|
Aerlinte
operated five 749s, initially on services between Dublin and London.
A new service between Dublin and Rome was inaugurated in December
1947 but it lasted only six weeks. Plans to operate trans-Atlantic
services were abandoned when there was a change of government and
the airline was instructed to dispose of the Constellations, all
five of which were sold to BOAC. (Source: 2)
|
FEB48 |
Placed
into storage. (Source: 2)
|
15JUN48 |
Sold
to BOAC. (Source: 2)
|
22JUN48 |
Registered
G-ALAN to BOAC. Subsequently named Beaufort. (Source: 2)
|
30JUN48 |
CofA
issued. (Source: 2)
|
JUL48 |
The
aircraft was handed over to Qantas at Shannon, Ireland. The aircraft
retained BOAC markings and the registration G-ALAN for the delivery
flight. The Qantas delivery crew comprised:
Captain Jim Pollock
First Officer Rod MacAlpine
Engineer Officer Don Brown
Engineer Officer Val St Leon
Radio Officer Ron Petrich
Navigation Officer Gordon Goodwin
Flight Hostess Marj de Tracey
plus 2 Flight Stewards
(Source: 4)
|
27JUL48 |
Engineer
Officer Val St Leon: "While ferrying G-ALAN to Australia from
London, we suffered an inadvertent loss of fuel when the dump valve
opened when we were about two hours out of Cairo. The fuel gauges
had become inoperative and there was no indication that fuel was
being dumped, and we landed at Cairo with all tanks showing empty,
although the engines were still running." (Source: 4)
|
30JUL48 |
Leased
to Qantas. (Source: 2)
|
JUL48-APR50 |
Operated
by Qantas on the Kangaroo Route retaining its British registration.
(Source: 4)
|
29MAY50 |
Re-entered
service with BOAC. (Source: 2)
|
|
Converted
to L-749A with a tourist class configuration of 60 seats. (Source:
2)
|
SEP57 |
Final
service with BOAC. Aircraft stored at Heathrow. (Source: 2)
|
20MAR59 |
Registration
G-ALAN cancelled. (Source: 2)
|
MAR59 |
Sold
to Pacific Northern Airlines as N1554V. (Source: 2)
Pacific Northern also operated the former VH-EAE
as N1552V.
|
14JUN60 |
Crashed
into the face of Mount Gilbert, Alaska (elevation 9,646 ft) while
operating the second sector of flight PN201 from Seattle-Tacoma
to Cordova and Anchorage. During the transit at Cordova, the Speedpak
was lowered to offload baggage and freight. The aircraft departed
Cordova for Anchorage and last reported at 0432 Alaska Standard
Time. Subsequently the wreckage was located at the 9,000 foot level
of Mount Gilbert, approximately 28 nautical miles to the right of
the aircraft's intended track. All 5 crew and 9 passengers were
killed. (Source: 3)
|
|
Aircraft
Total Time: 30,560:22 hours. (Source: 3)
|
SOURCES
|
1
|
Qantas
Press and Information Department, The Qantas Fleet 1921-1967,
Sydney. November 1967. |
2
|
Marson
Peter J., The Lockheed Constellation Series, Air-Britain
(Historians) Ltd., England, 1982 |
3
|
Civil
Aeronautics Board, Aircraft Accident Report File Number 1-0019,
15MAR62. |
4
|
Banfield,
Greg, Aviation Heritage, Vol. 35 No. 3, September 2004, AHSA. |