Message posted by Peter Merlin on February 08, 2011 at 8:42:51 PST:

No, it was operated by the 1129th SAS at Area 51. In 1964, Lt. Col. Burt Barrett asked Capt. Charlie Trapp Jr. to pick up a new Cessna 210D that had just been delivered to Las Vegas by the manufacturer. Trapp went to the airport, picked up the keys, found the new airplane, and checked himself out on the way back to Area 51. During the OXCART program, N3908Y was used as a support and liaison aircraft by the 1129th Special Activities Squadron. Trapp served as checkout pilot in the Cessna, in addition to being one of the unit’s helicopter pilots.

Long after the plane was at Groom, it was purchased by Boeing and eventually ended up with the Boeing Employee Flying Association (BEFA). It was used for recreational flying and occasionally to support the Boeing Moses Lake test facility.

N3908Y was badly damaged in a non-fatal accident at Renton, WA, on 6 June 1997. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to lower the gear, the aircraft was landed gear up. Post-crash inspection of the landing gear revealed that the landing gear hydraulic power pack failed internally, and would not allow hydraulic pressure to the down position. The airplane was subsequently sold for salvage.

In Reply to: Re: Newly released historic photos from Area 51 posted by wheresjanet on February 07, 2011 at 19:28:15 PST:

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