Zantop Air Transport

Not to be confused with Zantop International Airlines that operated from 1972 to 2005 or Zantop Airways, a part 298 carrier that operated 1969 to 1980

Zantop Air Transport

Founded	6 July 1956 (1956-07-06) (incorporated in Michigan)
Ceased operations	29 December 1966 (1966-12-29) (renamed to Universal Airlines)
Operating bases	Detroit, Michigan
Fleet size	See Fleet
Headquarters	Inkster, Michigan United States
Founders	Lloyd Zantop Howard Zantop Duane Zantop

C-46 March 1962

Zantop Air Transport was a United States airline incorporated in 7 July 1956 from the earlier Zantop Flying Service. ^[1] It was a Part 45 carrier until 1962 when the Civil Aeronautics Board approved transfer of the operating certificate of Coastal Air Lines, making Zantop a supplemental air carrier. ^[2] As a Part 45 carrier, Zantop was not a common carrier, it flew contract work for the Big Three automakers and for the Air Force Logair 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 of Universal Airlines, Inc. ^[3]

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

Zantop Flying Service

Zantop Flying Service was a fixed 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 was Jackson, Michigan. At first, the fledgling company used light aircraft, and performed cargo duties for General Motors. In 1952 the company obtained a commercial operators permit and began to service Chrysler and Ford. A year later in 1953 they moved the operations to Wayne Major Airport, now Detroit Metro Airport.

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

Zantop International Airlines

Main articles: Universal Airlines (United States) and Zantop International Airlines

Universal collapsed on 4 May 1972. Zantop International Airlines was incorporated 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

As of September 30, 1959: ^[4]

• 13 Curtiss C-46
• 1 Douglas DC-3

As of 30 June 1961: ^[5]

• 14 Curtiss C-46
• 5 Douglas DC-4
• 1 Douglas DC-3

As of 31 December 1965: ^[6]

• 6 Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
• 42 Curtiss C-46
• 1 Douglas DC-3
• 8 Douglas DC-6
• 8 Douglas DC-7

Incidents and accidents

• 20 January 1954: Zantop Flying Service DC-3 N49551 headed to Fairfax Municipal Airport in Kansas City from Jackson, Michigan crashed near Kansas 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. ^[7]
• 16 December 1956: Curtiss C-46A N2028A encountered thick fog as it made a VFR approach to Long Beach, California from El Paso, landing short. All four on board survived, but the aircraft was a writeoff. ^{[8] [9]}
• 14 November 1961: Douglas DC-4 N30061—destruction of the aircraft but no fatalities.
  Main article: 1961 Cincinnati Zantop DC-4 crash
• 16 February 1963: Curtiss C-46F N616Z crashed in a pasture in Puyallup, Washington after 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. ^[10]
• 7 December 1963: Curtiss C-46A N609Z disappeared enroute from Lowry Air Force Base in Denver to Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah on an Air Force Logair flight. The wreckage was not found until July 1964. The aircraft had flown into a mountain at 12,500 ft elevation. The accident report cited improper planning and poor judgement on behalf of the crew. ^{[11] [12] [13]}
• 20 November 1964: Curtiss C-46A N3971B crashed on takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a flight bound for Wilmington, Delaware due to inadequate de-icing. The aircraft was destroyed but the crew suffered only minor injuries. ^[14]
• 30 December 1964: Curtiss C-46A N608Z suffered loss of control during a night IFR approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a flight from Cleveland Airport for 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 died. ^[15]
• 13 September 1965: Curtiss C-46D N5132B had taken off from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on a flight to Philadelphia when 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 a Navy civilian employee passenger walked away, but the aircraft was a writeoff. ^{[16] [17]}
• 14 October 1965: Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy N601Z was on a flight from Truax Air Force Base in Madison, Wisconsin to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base when it ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing on Interstate 75 near Piqua, Ohio, north of Dayton. 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. ^{[18] [19]}
• 16 June 1966: Curtiss C-46A N10415 collided with a Piper Aztec near Columbia City, Indiana while 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. ^[20]
• 28 July 1966: Curtiss C-46A N9905F was substantially overweight for its flight to Chicago with autoparts when it lost an engine after takeoff from Newark, 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. ^{[21] [22]}

See also

• Universal Airlines (United States)
• Zantop International Airlines
• Part 45 carrier
• Supplemental air carrier
• List of defunct airlines of the United States

References

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. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
2. "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. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
4. Hearings before Special Subcommittee on National Military Airlift of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Eighty-Sixth Congress, Second Session. Mar. 8–Apr. 22, 1960 (Report). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1960. pp. 4926–4927. hdl: 2027/uiug.30112119790746 .
5. Certification 1962, p. 163.
6. Federal Aviation Agency (August 1966). FAA Statistical Handbook of Aviation (Report). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 147. hdl: 2027/uc1.b4263798 .
7. Aircraft Accident Report: Zantop Flying Service, Near Kansas City, Missouri, January 20, 1954 (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. 29 June 1954. doi:10.21949/1500608.
8. Plane Bursts Over Street, Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, 17 December 1956
9. "Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando N2028A". asn.flightsafety.org. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
10. 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.
11. Three on Board Missing Aircraft, Ontario (CA) Daily Report, 9 December 1963
12. "Accident Curtiss C-46A-20-CU Commando N609Z, Saturday 7 December 1963". asn.flightsafety.org. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
13. NTSB Identification: DEN64A0039. ntsb.gov (Report). National Transportation Safety Board . Retrieved 28 November 2024.
14. 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 .
15. 1964 Resume 1966, p. 55.
16. "Accident Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando N5132B, Monday 13 September 1965". asn.flightsafety.org. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
17. Three walk away unhurt from Dover plane crash, Wilmington (DE) Morning News, 14 September 1965
18. "Accident Armstrong Whitworth AW-650 Argosy 101 N601Z, Thursday 14 October 1965". asn.flightsafety.org. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
19. Pilot Sets Huge Plane Down on IR 75 Near Piqua; Crew Unhurt, Dayton Journal Herald, 15 October 1965
20. "Mid-air collision Accident Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando N10415, Thursday 16 June 1966". asn.flightsafety.org. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
21. "Accident Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando N9905F, Thursday 28 July 1966". asn.flightsafety.org. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
22. Crash-Lands Plane on N.J. Mud Flats, Bridgewater (NJ) Courier-News, 29 July 1966