Chartered for an education and orientation tour.
Photo above is the actual Flying Tiger Flight 923 aircraft that was ditched in the North Atlantic on September 23, 1962. The photo was taken in June of 1961 by Ragnar Domstadt, who was junior in engineering at the Chalmers Technical University at Gothenberg, Sweden. The Super Constellation with the registration number N6923C was sitting on the tarmac of the old Gothenberg Torslanda airport. Ragnar had arranged for the chartering of the aircraft to fly his engineering class to and from the US for an education and orientation tour. He was surprised to see the aircraft involved in a deadly crash at sea within 15 months of the trip he had arranged.
Flying Tiger 923 
Good to learn you guys are well. When are you stopping over from Eagle CO?
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Joe: So good to hear from you.I would love stop over. but I have been in quarantine for so long that I am afraid to fly.
Ellen and I had a delightful hardship since covid 19 began. We went to Ireland for three weeks at the end of February to go to a concert in Cork City (the group, Clannad of Donegal). Within three days of the perfectly sold out and wonderful normal concert, Europe started rumbling about this new pandemic and airlines starting to cancel flights.
We stayed in Glengarriff and enjoyed the total peace and quiet for three months. We finally gave in to the lure of kids graduations, etc. and came back to Eagle and the new order == video graduations, zoom meetings, etc.
Well, all is well. At least as John Brine would say, “pretty good, not bad, and actually its all about the same.” The Covid got John Brine pretty early on.
You two stay well. Hope to see you in Ireland. It really has become home. Wishing all the best, Fred and Ellen
Another interesting post, Fred. Thank you. Patricia
Patricia: Thank you so much for your comment on my post. You have been a faithful reader and a wonderful friend. I am wishing you the best of everything. Stay well. Fred
It was interesting to once more see my picture of the Super Connie that ditched. I just read the report from the Civil Aeoronautics Board and it was interesting to read what had cuased the ditching. I guess it was bad weather as well as mistakes by the crew.
I continued to charter through Flying Tiger Line in 1962 for student groups, mainly from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. Therefore, we could have used the ditching aircraft once more.
Fred – it is nice that you have written this blog about the accident and what has happened thereafter
Greetings from Ragnar
Ragnar: Thank you for your comments. I have always especially valued your photo and I know so many others do too. I am always happy when I see you on Facebook.
And I hope some day to see you in person. Stay well. Wishing you the best of everything. Fred
My comment is more Tigers related than the crash. My dad worked for Tigers from 1966-1996(Tigers/FedEx). My first flight at age 6 was MATS on World Airways 707 Jan. 64 from LAX to Kadena, Okinawa. Came back to US in 65 on PanAm DC-8. My dad was in Air force at this time.
My only 2 Flying Tiger Connie rides were summer 66 age 9 LAX to Newark and back. Then 6 months later from Yokota to Kadena. It was a night flight, cargo with two beds strapped to wall for our family deadheading as employee/dependents. I remember looking out the window seeing flames coming out of exhaust stacks as we took off over Japan. Most of my other flights with my parents involved CL-44’s and DC-8’s coming back or going to Okinawa.
My dad was actually a rescuer as he was Maintenance rep. at Naha 1970 awaiting DC-8 flight to work on when it undershot runway in rainy conditions, hit a reef, tore off the wings and inverted, trapping cockpit crew inside. They rescuers waded into reef surrounded by aviation fuel and attempted rescue of one survivor they could talk to thru window they opened. They were unable to get cargo off of him soon enough before tide came in and drowned trapped under debris. My dad came home soaked in fuel and sea water. I never forgot seeing the wreckage being lifted up by barge cranes and dad palleting up the engines to send back for the investigation.
Tigers was a great employer for my dad and it felt like one large family. Reading the Tiger in the Sea book made me realize they didn’t always do right by their employees. Still I will always remember Tigers fondly from my childhood. I have been collecting airliner memorabilia for 50 years now to remember a golden age of travel that every now and then also had tragedies too.
Just finished reading “Tiger in the Sea”. Always had an interest in this airline as I was a passenger in March 1973 returning from Vietnam.