| Crash site | Antilla, Cuba |
| Airline | Pan American Airways |
| Aircraft | Sikorsky S-42 – NC823M – Hong Kong Clipper |
| Route | San Juan, Puerto Rico – Port au Prince, Haiti – Antilla, Cuba – Miami |
| Crew | 5 – 5 survivors |
| Passengers | 26 – 9 survivors |
The crash
The flying boat was operating flight 218 from San Juan to Miami. On takeoff from Antilla harbour one of the engines failed, the pilot lost control and at 13:20 the plane crashed into Nipe Bay 800 m southeast of Antilla. The investigation indicated loss of control due to the captain’s inexperience in handling this particular type of airplane.
The mail
The plane carried mail for USA and also some mail destined for Europe. The mail was processed at Miami, where a special handstamp was used.
Nierinck and The American Air Mail Catalogue mention a handstamp and a couple of labels from this crash.
The only Nordic mail which I have recorded is the cover illustrated below.
Examples of mail
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Registered cover from The Royal Legation of Denmark in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Reykjavik, Iceland. Postmark is illegible as stamps have floated off. At the back Miami transit markings of AUG 12 1944. |
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