1942-04-11

Crash site LaGuardia airport, New York, USA
Airline United Air Lines
Aircraft ?
Route Oakland  –  Chicago  –  New York/LaGuardia
Crew ?
Passengers ?

 

The crash

The plane crashed at 05:30 AM when attempting to land at LaGuardia airport. The plane overshot the runway and plunged into Flushing Bay.

 

The mail

The plane carried 479 kg of mail which was recovered – mostly in watersoaked condition. The American Air Mail Catalogue lists 3 different handstamps from this crash. As this was a domestic flight it probably did not carry much mail for overseas destinations. The only Nordic cover I have seen is a cover to Sweden.

 

A.
19420411 A5-line handstamp with date.
Violet.
Size: ?
AAMC type b.

 

 

 

 

Examples of mail

19420411 001a 19420411 001b

Part of cover from USA with illegible postmark and addressed to Sweden. U.S. crash handstamp type A. Also two postal markings referring to missing stamp/insufficient postage. The cover passed U.S. censorship and a special label was enclosed re. the mutilation of the letter.
Thiesen collection.