Tragedy overcomes the Pan American Airways Samoan Clipper, blown to fragments in mid-air 14 miles from Pago Pago, American Samoa

Description:

Tragedy overcomes the Clipper in the Pacific: New Zealand shocked by fate of flying-boat and its crew. Pan American Airways Samoan Clipper, with its entire crew of seven, was blown to fragments in mid-air 14 miles from Pago Pago, American Samoa, while en route to Auckland on its first commercial flight to New Zealand. Small pieces of wreckage have been recovered, but there has been no trace of the bodies of Captain Edwin C. Musick and his crew. TOP: The Clipper at Auckland on arrival on the initial survey flight on March 30, 1937. MIDDLE LEFT: Captain Musick. MIDDLE RIGHT: Messrs. T. D. Findley (left) and J. W. Stickrod, radio operator and flight engineer on the Clipper. BOTTOM: The scene as the Clipper reached the base at Auckland on its second survey flight on December 26.. The cover of The Weekly News issue for February 2, 1938 features two photographs of the flying-boat Samoan Clipper taken during its stay in Auckland; with photographs of the captain and two crew members. The seaplane was a Sikorsky S-42. These were the cover images for the Weekly News, 19 January 1938 issue.

Display date:

1938-01-19

Location:

American Samoa

Collections:

Auckland Weekly News

Content partner:

Auckland Libraries

Availability:

Not specified