You may recall AVweb’s recent coverage of a missing African airliner believed to be in the hands of criminals or terrorists. Well, the Boeing 727 has reportedly been located — with a new paint job. The Guardian reports the jet turned up last week in Guinea after disappearing from Angola’s main airport more than a month ago. The missing plane had been the subject of an international search since it vanished from Angola on May 25. The last known flight of the jet was recorded shortly after it had been repossessed from Angola Air. Bob Strother, a Canadian pilot, reported finding the aircraft, which had been re-sprayed and now sports the Guinean registration of 3XGOM. However, the last two letters of its former tail number, N844AA, were still showing. While the plane is said to be owned by a member of West Africa’s Lebanese business community, Strother finds the registration change a bit too expeditious. “Whoever owns it must have some important friends to get it re-registered in two days: going by the book, the whole process usually takes a couple of months,” he told the Guardian.
Missing Jet Found In New Colors
Key Takeaways:
- A missing Boeing 727, previously thought to be in criminal or terrorist hands after vanishing from Angola on May 25, has been located in Guinea.
- The aircraft was found with a new paint job and a new Guinean registration (3XGOM), although parts of its former tail number (N844AA) were still visible.
- A Canadian pilot, Bob Strother, noted the plane's re-registration was unusually quick—two days instead of the typical couple of months—suggesting the owner has significant connections.
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