Sea Plane down in Miami

[AdamZ]

Sad day! A Sea Plane carrying 19 PAX plus crew caught fire and crashed today shortly after takeoff from Government Cut in Miami Beach. The plane belonged to Chalks a scheduled airline that reguarly flies to the bahamas from Florida. They have some neat flying boats, Gruman Mallards. Reports say all aboard were lost. Some reports say the engine caught fire and the wing fell off.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20051220/D8EJLB6O1.html

 

[jrdodge]

Sad day indeed. I love watching the "old birds" like that still working away instead of the permanent tiedown on the ramp.

 

[mmilano]

A 1940s-era seaplane that lost a wing during takeoff and crashed within sight of the beach, killing all 20 people aboard, had undetected cracks in its airframe that apparently caused the aircraft to break up, federal investigators said Wednesday.

http://www.forbes.com/business/businesstech/feeds/ap/2005/12/21/ap2408759.html