Finding visuals...
  • The Locator
  • Airframes Database

    Social media...
    Follow AV on facebook
    Follow AV on Twitter @aerial_visuals
    Follow the AV YouTube Channel

    Site navigation...
  • Home
  • Desktop Calendar
  • The Racers
  • FAQs
  • About Aerial Visuals
  • Comment on this Dossier
    • Search For Airframes Now
    Search - Index - Gallery - Reports - Lists - AV Needs You!

    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Sikorsky S-42
    Latest Model:S-42B
    Construction Number:4207
    Last Civil Registration:N16734
    Compressed ID:Sikorsky S-42B cn 4207 cr N16734
    Latest Owner or Location:Pan American Airways Co, New York, NY

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

    UPLOAD A PHOTO    		 If you have a photo of this airframe to share then use the photo upload tool.
    The Airframes Database depends on user contributions to stay current.
    If you have any news about this airframe or photos which you would like to share please do so
    by using the links above.
    The more you and others share the better the database becomes!

    Dates

    Event

    1936

    Constructed as a S-42B.
    Sikorsky S-42-B 4207

    4 February 1937

    To Pan American Airways Co, New York, NY with new c/r N16734.

    1937


    Photographer: William T Larkins
    Notes: Pan Am base at Alameda, California, in 1937.

    11 January 1938

    Crashed.
    Summary: The airframe was written off. There were seven fatalities. The cargo flight departed Pago Pago International Airport (PPG/NSTU), American Samoa and was destined for Auckland International Airport (AKL/NZAA), New Zealand. The accident occurred at 120 km (75 mls) S off Pago Pago, American Samoa (Pacific Ocean) while en route. Narrative: A Sikorsky S-42B, named Samoan Clipper and registered NC16734, made the first air mail flight from New Zealand to Hawaii in January 1938. The flying boat and its mail arrived in Honolulu on January 3, 1938, and just six days later it departed again for a return flight to Kingman Reef, Pago Pago, and Auckland...
    For a complete description of the event read the Aviation Safety Network Report.

    23 March 1938

    Civil registration, N16734, cancelled.
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     Aviation Safety Network
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    Tell Others About this Airframe Dossier
    Forum Link: [URL=https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=15057][IMG]/home/users/web/b1393/nf.aerialvisuals/public_html/AV/Support/Logo_20x20.jpg[/IMG]Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Sikorsky S-42B, c/n 4207, c/r N16734[/URL]
    Direct Link: https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=15057
    Copyright 1993-2025 AerialVisuals.ca
    The Aerial Visuals pages are best viewed with a screen at least 800 pixels wide.
    In case you are wondering Aerial Visuals is a huge fan Google Chrome. If you do not have Chrome installed why not?
    Aerial Visuals requires cookies and Javascript to function correctly. Please ensure these features are enabled in your browser.
    Aerial Visuals is powered by Netfirms.