- Aug 30, 2022
- 2 min read

A Varied Career

NC14961, Electra 1039, was delivered to Eastern on October 4, 1935; two years later the Electra was sold to National Airlines out of Florida. National placed the aircraft on what would become "The Buccaneer Route," flying from Miami to New Orleans ("The Buccaneer Route" would eventually fly down to the Caribbean). Using Lockheed Electra aircraft on their routes, the airline was eventually able to expand their system out of Florida, eventually reaching as far north as Washington, D.C.

Following the U.S.'s involvement into World War II, Electra 1039 was pressed into service by the USAAF on June 11, 1942, where its registration was changed to 42-57218. Almost two years to the day of entering service the Electra's registration was returned to NC14961 and was sold to Alaska Airlines. The following year the aircraft was converted to a 10E. Over the next decade the aircraft would trade hands multiple times from Springfield Feeder Lines, Springfield, Massachusetts, to Margal Aviation Corp., Miami, Flordia, to Donroger Realty Corp and finally to Jean Allison in Texas. After purchase by Jean Allison the registration was changed to N75U; however, in 1961 the registration was cancelled and the aircraft was exported down to Argentina. While in Argentina the aircraft received registration LQ-GMP and was used by the Secretary of Aeronautics, Govt. of Argentina. It seems, according to most of the sources that we looked at, that this aircraft crashed in June, 1961; however, the crash must not have been too severe as by 1965 the aircraft had been sold and re-registered as LV-GMP and seems to have been flying again. Ten years later however, the aircraft was abandoned in San Justo, Argentina, and shortly thereafter scrapped; the aircraft's registration was finally cancelled in 1982.