The Missing African 727

[jiacinto]

Did they find it yet?

[starroute]

1. It was spotted in Guinea last week

http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=737812003

[jiacinto]

2. well

so did they reposess it yet?

[AnnabelLee]

3. CNN article from yesterday

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/07/11/africa.terrorism/index.html

[jiacinto]

4. Thanks

nt

[DemoTex]

5. Ironically, N844AA is an ex-American Airlines Boeing 727-200.

Doesn't mean a thing. Just interesting info. Here is FAA info on the last registered owner in the US:

Serial Number: 20985 Type Registration: Corporation
Manufacturer Name: BOEING Certificate Issue Date: 01/03/2002
Model: 727-223 Status: Valid
Type Aircraft: Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Type Engine: Turbo-Jet
Pending Number Change: None Dealer: No
Date Change Authorized: None Mode S Code: 52707266
MFR Year: 1975 Fractional Owner: NO

Registered Owner

Name: AEROSPACE SALES & LEASING CO INC
Street: 9990 SW 77TH AVE PH 9
City: MIAMI State: FLORIDA Zip Code: 33156-2661
County: Unknown
Country: UNITED STATES

[jiacinto]

6. So how did it get to Africa?

nt

[matt819]

7. There's a market for them

There's a hell of a market in the third world for aircraft that no longer meet market needs in the US or Europe. Not that they are faulty. They may no longer be fuel efficient, too expensive to operate, not technologically advanced, don't meet sound restrictions, etc. These aircraft are purchased by any number of companies -- as it happens, many are in Florida -- and are leased to operators in Latin America and Africa. Some are converted from passenger to cargo use. There's nothing really nefarious about finding old aircraft abroad. The only thing potentially nefarious about this one is its mysterious disappearance, reappearance, and unusually fast re-registration from US registration to, I think it was Guinean.

[DemoTex]

8. Probably sold. Maybe a couple of times. Cheap. Maybe stolen.

It had been re-sprayed and given the Guinean registration, 3XGOM. But, at least the last two letters of its former tail-number, N844AA, were still visible.

http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/international.cfm?id=737812003

I would assume that US officials have checked out the Guinean registration angle. Just because it had Guinean "tail numbers," doesn't mean it was really registered in Guinea. The used jet market can be rather nefarious. After all, that is what Jim Bath, Bu$h's buddy from the Texas Air Guard and a putative CIA operative, was into (Jim Bath & Associates). Bath reportedly sold one of the Bin Laden brothers a Saberliner a number of years ago (or was it Osama? I can't remember).

[jiacinto]

9. What is so nefarious about it

tell me more

[DemoTex]

10. I did not say this was nefarious. Some used jet transactions are. HOWEVER:

I "Googled" AEROSPACE SALES & LEASING CO INC and came up with this interesting piece:

http://www.nbc6.net/news/2281429/detail.html

[jiacinto]

11. OK

Thanks.