United States Coast Guard

Sep 27, 20222 min read

The United States Coast Guard acquired their only Lockheed Electra 10B, 1053, on March 28, 1936, which they designated XR30-1, registration 383. This Electra was equipped with 440hp Wright R-975-E3 engines and had a different interior allowing for a quick change between command transport and ambulance aircraft. This aircraft became the commandant's flagship and was also made available to the Secretary of the Treasury as well. Later on the registration was changed to V151. According to the United States Coast Guard's website the Electra "apparently served the Coast Guard well but was apparently traded to the Marine Corps in 1945 for a Grumman JF-2."

By the late 1940s-early 1950s the 1053 was sold to Essair, Inc., Texas, and the registration was changed to NC44794; after a few years it was sold again to Continental Oil Company and then to the Zigler Flying Service. While flying for Zigler, the registration was shortened to N44794 and the aircraft was converted to a 10E when it was modified with two Pratt & Whitney Wasp S3H1 engines - while serving as a 10E it became one of the last Lockheed Electra 10 aircraft to serve as an airliner. By the early to mid 1960s (likely 1963-1965) the aircraft was purchased by Provincetown-Boston Airline where registration was changed one last time to N233PB. On August 27, 1967, N233PB took off at 6 p.m. on a 70 mile flight across Massachusetts Bay from Provincetown to Boston, scheduled to land 25 minutes later. Shortly after reaching 2,000 feet one of the Electra's engines began misfiring, unable to maintain a safe altitude there was no other choice but to ditch in the bay. At 6:30 p.m. the aircraft glided into 22 feet of water roughly 200 yards off Humarock Beach. After touching down in the water, passengers filed through the emergency door on to the wing where they rode the aircraft for roughly eight minutes before it sank. All 14 persons on board the aircraft survived and, according to interviews at the time, the incident and emergency landing happened so smoothly that all of the passengers were calm.