Sinister Skyvan returns to Argentina
A Short SC7 Skyvan that was once used for the so-called ‘Flights of Death’ during the Videla regime has returned to Argentina on 24 June 2023. During these infamous flights not only political opponents, but even simple protesters like members of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo were thrown into the sea.
The aircraft, currently registered as N190WW was tracked in the USA where it was, ironically, used as a platform for sky-divers. It was operated by Win Win Aviation at Coolidge Airport(AZ). Already on 8 January, an Argentinian pilot, Enrique Piñeyro, verified that N190WW was a plane with a dark past.
Piñeyro made this investigation on request of the Argentinian Ministry of Economy. On the confirmation of the plane’s identity, it was decided to buy and repatriate the Skyvan. It will be displayed in the Museo Sitio de Memoria Esma in Buenos Aires. ESMA stands for the Escuela de Mecanica de la Armada (Navy Petty-Officers School of Mechanics) which was used as a detention and torture center during the Videla period.
At Buenos Aires/Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport the Skyvan was officially unveiled to the public during a commemoration ceremony for the estimated 30,000 people that ‘disappeared’ during the dictatorship between 1976 and 1983. During the ceremony on 26 June, some of the victims’ relatives were present. It has not yet been transferred to the museum.
N190WW was delivered to the Prefectura Naval Argentina (Argentine Coast Guard) as PA-51 (c/n SH.1888) in June 1971, as one of a batch of five SC.7-3M-400 Skyvans. After its obscure activities in Argentina, the plane was sold to a company in Luxemburg, CAE Aviation as LX-ABC together with two of its stablemates, LX-DEF (c/n SH.1889) and LX-GHI (c/n SH.1890).
Flown for CAE Aviation LX-ABC spent, amongst others, some time in Belgium, operated for Skydive Moorsele. The rudders of the Skyvan reveiled in those days parts of its history, as the Argentinian flag was easily transferred into a Luxembourg one by painting the upper section red instead of light blue.
The plane was disposed of by CAE in January 2003, when it was sold to GB Airlink Inc. of Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA as N80GB. In August 2019 Win Win Aviation of Wake Forest (NC) became the next owner, and the plane was reregistered N190WW.
Photos: Jarrod Wilkening (via Flickr) and Danny Grew (via AirHistory.net)