tingoose

The ill-fated sole Ford 4-AT-C NC7862 (c/n 4-AT-47) built for Sunbeam Air Transport. This aircraft would crash and be destroyed approximately 10 miles north of Spur, Texas. The December 1, 1928 crash killed all five persons aboard, including the President of Sunbeam Air Transport, Homer D. Ballard. The 4-AT-C was unusual in that it used two types of engines, consisting of a single 450 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial in the nose, and two 220 horsepower Wright J-5 Whirlwind radials under the wings. See: aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19281201-1 Here is a photo of the crash in the SDASM's collection:

Fatal plane crash of the sole Ford 4-AT-C Trimotor built for Sunbeam Air Transport, approximately 10 miles north of Spur, Texas. The December 1, 1928 crash killed all five persons aboard, including the President of Sunbeam Air Transport, Homer D. Ballard. The 4-AT-C was unusual in that it used two types of engines, consisting of a single 450 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial in the nose, and two 220 horsepower Wright J-5 Whirlwind radials under the wings. See: aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19281201-1

Here's the same aircraft in better times from the SDASM's Robert Reedy Collection: www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/27166999446/

This is the Ford 5-AT-8 NC9645 while owned by G.E. Ruckstell aka Grand Canyon Airlines (between 16 July 1935 and 23 Feb 1937). I suppose there is a slight possibility it could be the Grand Canyon - Boulder Dam Tours which owned the aircraft from 23 Feb until sold to TACA Honduras on 11 Dec 1937, but much less likely. Stig