HK-1776 and HK-1776W

The tangled histories of DC-6s HK-1776 and HK-1776W

Another 'propliner' mystery....
Once upon a time... there was a DC-6 ETP-10025 of the Fuerza Aerea Mexicana, reported as such at Santa Lucia AB,Mexico in sep93.
In 1995 it was reported as written off after an emergency landing, while registered as HK-1776W, for a company called LANC Columbia (DC-6A); date of accident: 22jul95.
Dan Willink wrote "... use of the 'W'-suffix indicates that it was now an Executive Aircraft."
JP Airline Fleets (1995 edition) offered its former identity: N11565 and the company (LANC Colombia) stationed at Cartagena. Their fleet also comprised DC-3 HK-2497 and Aerospatiale SE210 Caravelle HK-3948X.
Now pay attention...
Propliner magazine no.72 (1997), in an article by Steve Kinder, stated registration as HK-1776W and reported it as stored at Villavicencio,Colombia ....
Steve's article "South American Serenade" described HK-1776W as "anonymous" and mentioned LANC as "apparently closed down".
But ATDB.aero has c/n 45499 as 'Destroyed 22Jul1995 in Mexico, enroute Puerto Inride-Puerto Lopez.'

So is ATDB incorrect? Was 45499 repaired after its 1995 crash? And the titles removed ? Flown back to Mexico or Colombia?

Here we come to what may be a different airframe, again reg'd HK-1776...
Two years later, in Feb99, HK-1776 was photographed in take off (on a testflight) at Villavicencio, Colombia by Chris Mak after 18 months of storage (possibly July97?-Feb99); the photo was published in Propliner magazine #78 (1999, p.9).
But the colourscheme is clearly different from HK-1776 below: though in B&W it shows a colourscheme of metallic with a single cheatline (see also photo at bottom page). It is clearly registered HK-1776 (with LANC Columbia titles), but not HK-1776W.
Note: a different colourscheme after extensive restoration & repairs is in itself not unlikely.

HK-1776 overshot the runway after (again?) a testflight on 04jul99 with engine problems: 5 (crew) dead and this DC-6 damaged beyond economic repairs.

Here is one theory:
HK-1776W and HK-1776 (2) were different aircraft; HK-1776/HK-1776W c/n 45499 may have been the Mexican reregistered ETP-10025 which crashed in 1995 in Mexico, while HK-1776 (2) of LANC noted in Feb99 was another DC-6.

Note: below quoted sources seem to indicate HK-1776, HK-1776W and ETP-10025 were the same airframe (c/n 45499), which was destroyed 22Jul97 but I can't find a candidate for the 1999 HK-1776 (2) airframe which may have been ex/ Colombian Air Force aircraft.

Douglas DC-6A HK-1776 of TAMPA Colombia at Miami (07Aug1978). Name below cockpit window is 'Luis H Coulson'.
The colourscheme is similar to that of a photo published in 'Sky Trucks', by Karl-Heinz Morawietz and Jörg Weier, page 54, taken at Bogota in 1980.

Questions:
DC-6A c/n 45499/1011 has been mentioned by various sources to be a candidate for either one of the above. ETP-10025, ex/ HK-1776W & HK-1776.
On a side note: was HK-1776W a fake (not officially registered) registration, perhaps applied for illegal or covert operations; the W seems to indicate an executive version, photos are as rare as hen's teeth (as the expression goes).

A table provided byAero Transport Data Bank (ATDB) plus additional info from Piston Engine Airliner Production List by TAHS, 2002 would have the following history for c/n 45499:

CF-CPB	DC-6A	45499	Canadian AL Int'l / Lignes Aériennes Canadien Int'l	Delivered from manufacturer 29Jul58	to Northwest Orient AL N11565 1959
N11565	DC-6A	45499	Northwest Orient AL (lease)	ex CF-CPB Canadian AL Int'l / Lignes Aériennes Canadien Int'l (ret Sep60)	to World Airways 01Jul61
N11565	DC-6A	45499	Continental Micronesia	leased from World Airways	Leased Sep 1968 & Returned
N11565	DC-6A	45499	Merpati Nusantara AL	leased from Florida Aircraft Leasing (bt 1970)	Leased & Returned
N11565	DC-6A	45499	Saber Air	leased from Florida Acft Lsng 1970	Leased & Returned Apr71
N11565	DC-6A	45499	Florida Acft Lsng	Saber Air (lease)	to Air Adeah HH-20 (Dec.1971)
HH-20	DC-6A	45499	Air Adeah	ex N11565 Flo.Acft Lsng	to Air Adeah HH-220 (rereg Jan.1972)
HH-220	DC-6A	45499	Air Adeah named "Le Maron Inconnu"	ex HH-20 Air Adeah	to N11565 Florida Acft Lsng, ret Mar74
HK-1776	DC-6A	45499	TAMPA Colombia, bt 1975, named 'Luis H.Coulson'	ex N11565 Florida AL	to Aeronorte (bt 1982)
HK-1776	DC-6A	45499	Lineas Aéreas Suramericanas Colombia (date ? ntu ?)	ex N11565 Saber Air	to Transamazonica
HK-1776	DC-6A	45499	Transamazonica Colombia (bt 1984)	ex N11565 Saber Air	to Private users in Colombia HK-1776W (rereg 1986)
HK-1776	DC-6A	45499	LANC Colombia bt May 1994	ex Transamazonica	to Lineas Aéreas Nacionales
HK-1776	DC-6A	45499	Lineas Aéreas Nacionales	ex HK-1776 LANC Colombia	crashed upon landing Villavicencio 04Jul99
HK-1776W	DC-6A	45499?	Soexcarsab (date ?)	ex HK-1776 Transamazonica Colombia	to (date ?) Fuerza Aérea Mexicana ETP-10025
ETP-10025	DC-6A	45499?	Fuerza Aérea Mexicana	ex HK-1776W, Private users in Colombia	Destroyed 22-07-95 enroute Puerto Inride-Puerto Lopez

The last 2 could be a different airframes, a very likely theory.

Nicky Scherrer (of 'Panamericana, Props & Jets'; NARA-Verlag 2000) wrote me in Jan.2017:
"Are you still searching the identity of LANC DC-6 HK-1776? >> My theory is: c/n 45499 !

I have original slides of Tampa, Aeronorte and F.A. Mexicana (showing the double reg), and I have several slides of (fake) 'HK-1776' of LANC taken at Bogota and Villavicencio.
My slide of ETP-10025 in 1994 shows HK-1776-W being painted out but visible! (RL: a VIP-configured aeroplane could be considered a logical addition for the military).
I am pretty sure that was the end of the real HK-1776. I believe that original HK-1776 (c/n 45499) ended with La Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (FAM) and 'HK-1776' (2) is an ex/ La Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC) DC-6 (but which one?).
The windows are completely different and also the antennas.
And HK-1776 has a very small window at the end of the belly, above the normal windows.

FAC sold several DC-6s in the early 1990s and by law, they had to be used for spares, not to be flown again. One of them was then 'HK-1776', a possibility to fly the aircraft again with a registration that ended in Mexico some years before!

So which of the ex FAC DC-6 (@) was 'HK-1776'...?
It was not FAC 902, 904 and 909, because I have slides of these 4 DC-6s, and they have different windows and antennas.
Nor can it be FAC 905 or 908, because they were parked as wrecks.
And it is not 910 either, because this one got the second HK-1700 in Colombia's registry; let's call that one HK-1700 (2).
HK-1700, btw, was a well known DC-6 and HK-1700 (2), that was born again in the 1990s and flown by Interandina, Aerosol and Orion, was ex FAC910; the number 910 was visible in the tail ex/ N37571. Rizjets probably found that out as well, but marked it HK-7100. That was probably a printing mistake...
But concluding, this fake 'HK-1776' must be either FAC 901, 903, 906 or 907!

->If the -W suffix stood for VIP aircraft, perhaps we could ask ourselves if any of these flew VIP's in its military career?

Something similar happened in the 1980s with DC-3 HK-337; the one I shot in the 1970s is not the same as the one with the same registration I photographed in the 1980!.
What do you think?"

My response would be that in my research (of many years) into Victor Bout's operation, I found it was (is?) not uncommon to paint an unregistered (thus illegal) registration on an aircraft and even fly it. This could go a long way in countries with slack governmental control and supervision, e.g. in Africa; as long as they would not be seen together.
The fake registrations in Nicky's theory might have been for the purpose of masquerading a previous identity, a smokescreen for the owners or operators with probable illegal operations in mind.
Anyone seeing a tailnumber painted on it, even looking it up and seeing a registered owner, would probably not think of investigating further.
With Nicky having proof ("showing both regs") HK-1776 and ETP-100025 being the same aircraft, we may assume
HK-1776W and 'HK-1776 (2)' (w/ LANC) being an unidentified DC-6, possibly ex/ FAC.

Here is a 31Jan2017 screendump of ATDB.aero for c/n 45499:

The original HK-1776 'Luis H. Coulson' in 1980 at Bogota, a photo reproduced for the sake of this search.

Clive Turner wrote me in May 2023: 'Seen a photo of HK-1776W on AbPic.co.uk/ - /HK-1776W.
Judging by the two tone blue colours I'm pretty certain it's ex-SATENA/Colombian AF?''

Rare image of HK-1776W, the 'W' indicating a VIP/executive version

HK-1776W in 1988 identified as c/n 45499, and ex/ HK-1776, by Robin A. Walker. Photo 30Mar1988.
Comparing the cheatline in 1980 in the 'Skytrucks' photos with the AbPic image it has become more complicated.
Why would TAZ do that? And those colours on the tailfin seem a two-tone reduction of something..?
Clive: "On the photo of Transamazonica HK 1276W, taken by Robin Walker, it has 'Colombia' written on the fuselage. Just below the trailing edge, of the Port wing, there appears to be about 2-3 letters very faint, or is it me?"
>>>>EMAIL<<<<

Clive Turner wrote: 'seems odd that the photo of DC-6 HK-1776W has the same nose colours as SATENA C-54
FAC 691.' See www.airhistory.net/photo/19521/FAC-691 & www.airliners.net/photo/Colombia-Satena/Douglas-C-54E-Skymaster-DC-4/1234486. N.B. the DC-6 of TransAmazonica has a black anti-glare on the nose. And
ATDB.aero does not show DC-6s in SATENA's fleet. But Transamazonica had both DC-4s as well as DC-6s (3):
DC-6A HK-1776 (c/n 45499), DC-6A/B HK-1276W (c/n 44056) and HK-3531X (c/n 43708) ¬ATDB.aero.
Yes, HK-1776/HK-1776W 45499 has a Transamazonica history but we have not enough to identify the
1999 DC-6 HK-1776 (2); ex/ Fuerza Aérea Colombia?

Clive added (Jan.2025): "Planelogger gives ETP-10025 as c/n 45492..."
This is a screendump from ATDB.aero 17Jan2025, which I (RL) hold in higher regard than Planelogger

Some sources seem to offer DC-6BF (c/n 45220) as a candidate for HK-1776, as N95BL (c/n 45220) vanished from sight in the early 1990s (last seen 1991); other sources claim N95BL was scrapped (at Miami) during those days, but surely that would have gone noticed?
Or did N95BL get involved in illegal ops? Not uncommon in those days. But this option could also be confusing matters, for any illegal use the colourscheme wouldn't be revised to a great extent. ->see photo below of N95BL.
ETP-10025 had been impounded by the Mexicans in the early 1990s and was put to good use by them as ETP-10025: HK-1776/HK-1776W c/n 45499 as is mostly quoted.

" N95BL DC-6BF c/n 45220 'N95BL last noted in 1991, painted grey&white fuselage, FAA issued a temp CoA on 03Jan1992 lasting 30days - for ferry flt?
Is it a candidate for candidate for ETP-10025? But no confirmation." (¬Matt Miller, 2004).

From 'Miami Props' an image of N95BL; let us compare antennas: rather similar. But..
according ATDB.aero has N95BL as DC-6B c/n 45220 and while it was at some point reg'd in Colombia (HK-1291, for
Aerocosta and Aerosucre Colombia) this was earlier and returned to Bellomy-Lawson as N6584C and later N95BL.
It went through several (leasing?) companies (e.g Hemisphere A/c Leasing) but the final recorded phase was operating
for APA Int'l Air and Aerial Transit while leased from Bellomy-Lawson.
However... ATDB.aero concludes on the history of c/n 45220 'ultimate fate obscure'!

Quite a different colourscheme from the dominant blue on previous photos and how would illegal use change
this colour scheme to make it less inconspicuous? We need images of any HK-1776 after 1995 when c/n 45499 crashed.
EMAIL

Clive Turner surmised N95BL may have gone the 'route' (career, if you will) as N94BL...?
Clive quoted me the link www.flickr.com/photos/kenfielding/5574946461/ which has the history of N94BL
Quote "Delivered new to Canadian Pacific Air Lines as CF-CUO in Jan-53, it was sold to Union Aeromaritime de Transport in Jun-59 as F-BHMR.
It was wet-leased to Continentale between Jan/Oct-61 and wet-leased to Air Afrique in May-63, becoming a dry lease in Nov-63 when it was re-registered TU-TCK. It was returned to Aeromaritime in Sep-65 and was re-registered F-BHMR in Nov-65.
It was sold to Air Djibouti in Dec-73, still as F-BHMR. It was sold to Bellamy-Lawson Aviation in Apr-75 as N47058 and converted to DC-6B/F standard in Nov-75 with a main-deck cargo door.
It was wet-leased to Surinam Airways in Apr-78. During the lease it was transferred to the Aggie Aircraft Corporation and was returned to them when the lease ended in Aug-81. It was leased to COPA Panama in Nov-81 as HP-936, returning to the Aggie Aircraft Corp in Jul-82 as N2890M.
It was re-registered N94BL in Dec-82 and wet wet-leased to Guyana Airways in Jan-83. During the lease the aircraft was transferred back to Bellamy-Lawson Aviation in Aug-83 and re-registered N47048. The lease to Guyana Airways continued until it was returned in Jul-85 and was re-registered N94BL again.
It was sold to the Aerial Transit Company in Aug-89 and bought back by Bellamy-Lawson in Jan-90. It was sold to Caribex Worldwide Inc in Oct-90 and sold again to Gulfstream International Airlines in Mar-93. Bellamy-Lawson bought it yet again in Apr-92 and sold it to Octavionics Corporation in Sep-92.
In Jun-93 it was sold to AeroSol Colombia as ~~HK-3874X~~ HK-3874X.
It was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Villavicencio, Colombia in Feb-94 and later broken up."

This is the history of N95BL c/n 45220 on ATDB.aero, open ended!

Clive: "Regarding c/n 45220, I just thought it was a bit of a coincidence that Octavionics had dealt with both
N94BL & N95BL, with the former going to Colombia, I assumed the second went the same direction!"
If we could get confirmation/proof that N95BL was scrapped at Miami this would exclude it becoming HK-1776 (2)...

DC-6 c/n 43842 ended up in Colombia as HK 3874, prior to that it was registered to Bellomy-Lawson as N94BL,
it was sold by Bellamy-Lawson in Sept 1992 to Octavionics Corp, they sold it in June 1993 to Aerosol as HK-3847X.

Image of HH-220
HK-1776 report on www.airdisaster.com
www.planecrashinfo.com
www.flugzeugbilder.de/show.php?id=129483
CIVIL AIRCRAFT REGISTER OF COLOMBIA: HK1776 DOUGLAS DC-6A (45499) 31/01/1975 -- SOCIEDAD EXPORTADORA DE CARNES DE LA SABANA DE BOGOTA LTDA. LINEAS AEREAS DEL NORTE DE COLOMBIA LTDA.

Stef Bailis wrote on 'Classic-Propliners'forum (Yahoo) 02Feb17:
"I found a photo of the LANC HK-1776 and carefully compared it to photos of N95BL, both photos taken from left quarter viewpoint.
Other than the paint scheme, the two aircraft are indistinguishable..."
www.ebay.ph/itm/PHOTO-AVION-Douglas-DC-6A-HK-1776-RETIRAGE-REPRINT-/271671883986
www.flickr.com/photos/philbky/23119165175 photo by Will Blinkhorn
I made screendumps of both images in these links and matched them into one picture; pity the LANC 'HK-1776' in the eBay advert cannot be seen in a larger size nor
has details of when & where taken.
But is does show 'LANC' titles and it does show photos of HK-1776 (2) are in circulation!

Stef added soon after: "I should point out that N95BL was a DC-6B, delivered new to Northeast Airlines.
It was converted to cargo (!) in the 1970s, using a standard Douglas factory rear cargo door assembly. These were heavy duty doors that were made for pressurized loads. It is said that these cargo doors were removed from various DC-7CF's that were scrapped in the late 60s and 70s; for example, ex-Airlift aircraft.
Some other DC-6Bs were converted by Bellomy-Lawson to cargo using custom made doors, engineered by the DER, Jim Addison.
These were light weight doors which had C-46 type latches, incapable of withstanding any pressurized loads.
Those door frames were not very substantial and when the aircraft was loaded with cargo, I often had to struggle to get the doors closed.
This aircraft had ventilation air scoops and vents at various places because the pressurization system was removed during cargo conversion.
You can see these features on both N95BL and HK-1776."
This is interesting as it would make it less like for the Mexican Air Force to use it for (VIP) passenger transport...?

DC-6 HK-1776(2) LANC
Better LANC photo at bottom page, copied from the ASN page and which includes the 1996 date.

From ATD.aero on 'LANC Colombia':

Contrary to my theory and the above, ASN (Aviation Safty Network) has the crash in 1999 firmly identified as c/n 45499 (LINK) +
photo (1996). It does show likeness to DC-6B N95BL (photos above), but an ex/ FAC DC-6 (unlawfully restored to airworthiness as the FAC
airframes were onlyu supposed to be used for spare parts, thus LANC used a previously used registration) seems the likely scenario.

DC-6 HK-1776 in 1996, after its miraculous resurrection after a 1995 crash in Mexico...

Clive Miller wrote me in June 2024: "Looking on the "Air History" website "Douglas DC-6A aircraft photos", on Page 9, the sixth photo down, N9076G c/n 44905-looks interesting? (RL: I did not find this photo).
Since two DC-6 aircraft FAC 904 & 910 were in the Colombia Air Force and were registered HK-1700 (2) & HK 3511, c/ns 44895 & 45132, it seems likely that other HK- registered aircraft are also ex FAC-?
I understand that FAC 901 is/was c/n 44689...
Webmaster/RL: I had difficulty following up on Clive's e-mail(s) as it lacked concrete links. But I explored airhistory.net and came across www.airhistory.net - - - msn_44905 which shows 5 images but no HK-1776 or HK-1776W
I checked ATDB.aero but c/n 44905 did not include HK- tail number nor FAC- or ETP- registrations (it did show TG-RUZ).
Also, I looked at www.airhistory.net/marks-all/HK1776: it shows 3 images - the 1975 and 1976 photos show the blue c/s while the 1995 image shows a small red cheatline on a metal fuselage, opb LANC.
www.airhistory.net/msn_45499 has 5 images, including the caption ".. Destroyed in fatal crash landing at Villavicencio in 1999."
Airhistory.net has no images of HK-1776W, which is indeed as rare as hen's teeth - as the expression goes..

I.m.o. the above supports the theory c/n 45499 was HK-1776/HK-1776W/ETP10025 (crashed 1995) while DC-6 HK-1776 (2) in 1999 is an unidentified airframe (crashed 1999), likely an illegally restored ex/ FA Colombia DC-6 with LANC using a previously used registration/tailnumber. As Nicky Scherrer has detailed previously.
N95BL c/n 45220 remains a bit of a dark horse here as it is reported as impounded in Mexico (?) but it may have been used for parts there and later scrapped, an impounded aircraft facing all kind of complications in its operation.
EMAIL welcomed!

Comments and/or images will be welcomed!

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Created Jan.2017 | Updated 07-Feb-2025