04/30/2007. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "Prototype of Fairchild F-27 (N1027 c/n 1) flew first on April 12, 1958 and was badly damaged when landing gear collapsed while parked at apron on May 9, 1958. The second aircraft, shown here, was intended as company demonstrator. Due to accident of prototype, demonstrator N2027 was finished as the replacement prototype and first flew on May 23, 1958.

After trials were concluded it was delivered to the Mexican carrier Aeronaves de México on April 10, 1959 registered XA-MOT, and immediately leased to Trans Mar de Cortes until October 1962. On November 30, 1962, it was sold to a US leasing company, reregistered N8687E and leased to the US carrier Ozark Air Lines who reregistered it N4303F on December 21, 1962. Ozark purchased the aircraft on June 28, 1963 and operated it until selling it to Fairchild Hiller on October 12, 1967.

It passed through a number of leasing companies and private individuals being reregistered N112TA on October 13, 1971. In 1974, it was stored at Pinal Airpark, Marana, Arizona, USA. Between 1975 and 1979, it was owned by four companies until it was sold to Wheeler Airlines of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, in June 1979. Wheeler was a small airline providing charter flights and scheduled service between New York City, and New Jersey to locations in Delaware, North Carolina and Virginia. The F-27 was sold in 1982 and passed through several other owners until it was stored, and eventually scrapped, at Miami International Airport, Florida in September 1984."