Zantop Air Transportwas aUnited Statesairline incorporated in 7 July 1956 from the earlierZantop Flying Service.[1]It was aPart 45 carrieruntil 1962 when theCivil Aeronautics Boardapproved transfer of the operating certificate of Coastal Air Lines, making Zantop asupplemental air carrier.[2]As a Part 45 carrier, Zantop was not acommon carrier,it flew contract work for theBig Threeautomakers and for theAir ForceLogair air freight service and with the US Navy, Quicktrans freight service up and down the Eastern Seaboard. As a supplemental, Zantop was able to hold itself out to the public as a general charter carrier. The original founders of Zantop Flying Services, the Zantop brothers, all sold their stock and resigned from the company in 1966. A name change was filed with the State of Michigan effective 29 December 1966 in the name ofUniversal Airlines,Inc.[3]

Zantop Air Transport
Founded6 July 1956(1956-07-06)
incorporated in Michigan
Ceased operations29 December 1966(1966-12-29)
renamed toUniversal Airlines
Focus citiesDetroit,Michigan
United States
Fleet sizeSeeFleet
FoundersLloyd Zantop
Howard Zantop
Duane Zantop
C-46March 1962

The airline was based at Wayne County Airport,Inkster, Michigan.[2]

Zantop Flying Service

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Zantop Flying Servicewas afixed base operator(FBO) formed by brothers Duane, Lloyd and Howard Zantop as a partnership in 1946.[2]The base of operations for the new company wasJackson, Michigan.At first, the fledgling company used light aircraft, and performed cargo duties forGeneral Motors.In 1952 the company obtained a commercial operators permit and began to serviceChryslerandFord.A year later in 1953 they moved the operations to Wayne Major Airport, nowDetroit Metro Airport.

The company continued under that name until becoming Zantop Air Transport in 1956.

Zantop International Airlines

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Universal collapsed on 4 May 1972. Zantop International Airlines was incorporated in 30 May 1972 by the three Zantop brothers with minority participation by two other people. By June it was in operation, once again flying auto parts.

Fleet

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As of 30 June 1961:[4]

As of 31 December 1965:[5]

Incidents and accidents

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  • 20 January 1954:Zantop Flying ServiceDC-3N49551 headed toFairfax Municipal Airportin Kansas City fromJackson, Michigancrashed nearKansas City Municipal Airport(close to Fairfax). Probable cause was loss of control due to an accumulation of ice and the use of de-ice boots, which increases stall speed. The three on board, all crew, perished.[6]
  • 16 December 1956:Curtiss C-46AN2028A encountered thick fog as it made a VFR approach toLong Beach, Californiafrom El Paso, landing short. All four on board survived, but the aircraft was a writeoff.[7][8]
  • 14 November 1961:Douglas DC-4N30061—destruction of the aircraft but no fatalities.
  • 16 February 1963:Curtiss C-46FN616Z crashed in a pasture inPuyallup, Washingtonafter a one-engine go-around following an attempted emergency landing at a small airport. The crew, the only ones on board, survived, severely injured. The pilot was cited for mismanaging the malfunctioning engine, but a contributing factor was air traffic control's failure to notify the crew of the limitations of the small airport, leading them to attempt an emergency landing there rather than at a more suitable airport.[9]
  • 7 December 1963:Curtiss C-46AN609Z disappeared enroute fromLowry Air Force Basein Denver toHill Air Force Basein Ogden, Utah on an Air Force Logair flight. The wreckage was not found until July 1964. The aircraft had flown into a mountain at 12,500ft elevation. The accident report cited improper planning and poor judgement on behalf of the crew.[10][11][12]
  • 20 November 1964:Curtiss C-46AN3971B crashed on takeoff fromDetroit Metropolitan Airporton a flight bound forWilmington, Delawaredue to inadequate de-icing. The aircraft was destroyed but the crew suffered only minor injuries.[13]
  • 30 December 1964:Curtiss C-46AN608Z suffered loss of control during a night IFR approach toDetroit Metropolitan Airporton a flight fromCleveland Airportfor an undetermined reason. The accident report noted it was consistent with sudden incapacitation by the highly experienced captain with an attempted recovery by the first officer, but post-mortem of the captain did not find evidence of a heart-attack or similar. The aircraft was destroyed and four crew were killed.[14]
  • 13 September 1965:Curtiss C-46DN5132B had taken off fromDover Air Force BaseinDelawareon a flight toPhiladelphiawhen it suffered the loss of an engine. The crew attempted to return to Dover but was forced down in a corn field. The crew of two, and aNavycivilian employee passenger walked away, but the aircraft was a writeoff.[15][16]
  • 14 October 1965:Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 ArgosyN601Z was on a flight fromTruax Air Force BaseinMadison, WisconsintoWright-Patterson Air Force Basewhen it ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing onInterstate 75nearPiqua, Ohio,north ofDayton.The aircraft struck an overpass and was damaged beyond repair, but the crew of three was unharmed and no motorists were injured. The pilots were cited for improper fuel planning and management.[17][18]
  • 16 June 1966:Curtiss C-46AN10415 collided with a Piper Aztec nearColumbia City, Indianawhile on a flight from Detroit to Kansas City. The two pilot crew of the C-46 died, as did the single pilot in the Aztec. The investigation said neither aircraft had kept a sufficient lookout for traffic.[19]
  • 28 July 1966:Curtiss C-46AN9905F was substantially overweight for its flight to Chicago with autoparts when it lost an engine after takeoff fromNewark, New Jersey.The captain elected to land in mudflats in Newark Bay, avoiding nearby populated areas. While injured, the crew survived. The aircraft was a writeoff.[20][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Search results for Universal Airlines, entity ID 800616155, Articles of Incorporation filing as Zantop Air Transport, 00000364.tif dated 6 July 1956".cofs.lara.state.mi.us.Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.Retrieved17 August2024.
  2. ^abc"Zantop Air Transport, Inc., and Coastal Air Lines, Certificate Transfer".Civil Aeronautics Board Reports.36.Washington, DC: U.S. General Printing Office: 139–168. April–September 1962.hdl:2027/uc1.b2938527.
  3. ^"Search results for Universal Airlines, entity ID 800616155, Certificate of Amendment showing name change to Universal Airlines, 00000272.tif dated 29 December 1966".cofs.lara.state.mi.us.Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.Retrieved17 August2024.
  4. ^Certification 1962,p. 163.
  5. ^Federal Aviation Agency(August 1966).FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation(Report). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 147.hdl:2027/uc1.b4263798.
  6. ^Aircraft Accident Report: Zantop Flying Service, Near Kansas City, Missouri, January 20, 1954(Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. 29 June 1954.doi:10.21949/1500608.
  7. ^Plane Bursts Over Street,Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, 17 December 1956
  8. ^"Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando N2028A".asn.flightsafety.org.Aviation Safety Network.Retrieved26 October2024.
  9. ^Aircraft Accident Report: Zantop Air Transport, Inc., Curtiss C-46F, N 616Z, Puyallup, Washington, February 16, 1963(Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. 8 November 1963.doi:10.21949/1500815.
  10. ^Three on Board Missing Aircraft,Ontario (CA) Daily Report, 9 December 1963
  11. ^"Accident Curtiss C-46A-20-CU Commando N609Z, Saturday 7 December 1963".asn.flightsafety.org.Aviation Safety Network.Retrieved28 November2024.
  12. ^NTSB Identification: DEN64A0039.ntsb.gov(Report).National Transportation Safety Board.Retrieved28 November2024.
  13. ^U.S. Carrier Accidents, Statistical Review and Resume of Accidents, Calendar Year 1964(Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. September 1966. p. 49.hdl:2027/uc1.c3451359.
  14. ^1964 Resume 1966,p. 55.
  15. ^"Accident Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando N5132B, Monday 13 September 1965".asn.flightsafety.org.Aviation Safety Network.Retrieved28 November2024.
  16. ^Three walk away unhurt from Dover plane crash,Wilmington (DE) Morning News, 14 September 1965
  17. ^"Accident Armstrong Whitworth AW-650 Argosy 101 N601Z, Thursday 14 October 1965".asn.flightsafety.org.Aviation Safety Network.Retrieved28 November2024.
  18. ^Pilot Sets Huge Plane Down on IR 75 Near Piqua; Crew Unhurt,Dayton Journal Herald, 15 October 1965
  19. ^"Mid-air collision Accident Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando N10415, Thursday 16 June 1966".asn.flightsafety.org.Aviation Safety Network.Retrieved28 November2024.
  20. ^"Accident Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando N9905F, Thursday 28 July 1966".asn.flightsafety.org.Aviation Safety Network.Retrieved28 November2024.
  21. ^Crash-Lands Plane on N.J. Mud Flats,Bridgewater (NJ) Courier-News, 29 July 1966