[paulmcmillan]

All

Trying to identify the aircraft involved in the following reported incidents

New York Times March 25 1931

PLANE FALLS IN NICARAGUA.
Marines Escape Injury as their Transport Crashes.
Wireless to The New York Times.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, March 24.
—A Fokker trimotor transport plane of the United States
Marines crashed today three miles west of Pueblo Nuevo
in the department Nueva Segovia. No one was injured.
The plane left Managua about noon en route to Ocotal
and then left Ocotal en route to Condega to pick up ill
marines for the Managua Hospital.
Before arriving at Condega the ailerons of the plane locked,
causing the crash. The pilot, Staff Sergeant Williams,
and a mechanic were uninjured. There were no other passengers.
The freight also was safe. Marine headquarters advises
that evacuation of the northern provinces Is proceeding
as rapidly as possible. A patrol and tractor train
already is en route, bringing heavy equipment from Ocotal.
At the present rate, the evacuation is expected to be completed
by the middle of May.

I think the news report is wrong and there were actually 3 passengers who bailed out from this aircraft (they are on a Caterpillar Club list for this date)

Private John P. Grando U. S. Marines,
Pharmacist's Mate, J. C. Torrien U. S. Navy (who remains unidentified)
Private Ivan J. Vlack U. S. Marines

The pilot I believe was Staff Sergeant Neal Golphen Williams of Aircraft Squadrons, Second Brigade, Managua, Nicaragua

The aircraft was probably either Atlantic-Fokker Tri-Motor TA-1 A7561, A7562 or 7563

Atlantic-Fokker Tri-Motor TA-2 A8007 or A8008 or A8018

or Atlantic-Fokker Tri-Motor TA-3 A8157 but I would like confirmation


Thanks Paul




Paul