01/22/2007. Remarks by Jack
McKillop: "This aircraft was delivered to the Belgian
airline SABENA on April 5, 1949 registered OO-AWT. It was sold to the
Murray Corp. in the USA on April 23, 1957 and registered N27C. It was
subsequently sold to the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Railway Corp on
November 24, 1959, re-registered N270L and named 'The Ambassador'.
Aspen Airways purchased it on September 9, 1968.
On January 17, 1970,
this aircraft crashed at Aspen Airport, Colorado, on a flight from
Stapleton International Airport, Denver, Colorado, to Aspen. The
cause was: "Prior to descent the checklist was completed except
for the landing gear because the captain wanted to keep the speed
above 130 knots in case he had to abort the approach. The Convair
landed with the gear retracted, slid and came to a stop 4,300 ft
(1,300 m) from the threshold. The gear warning horn did not work
because it had been improperly set." There were no fatalities
among the 52 people (3 crew, 49 passengers) aboard."
