Location: ANR/EBAW

Photo: collection Skystef

Description: this factory fresh Marchetti was on September 30 1968 registered to Sabena and arrived at Brussels Airport a few weeks later, namely on October 11. It was delivered in the colors of the former Belgian flag carrier with on the right hand side "Burgerlijke Luchtvaart School" titles (in this view obstructed by the wing) and left hand side "Ecole d'Aviation Civile" titles. On December 23 1971 ownership changed to the Belgian State, department Ministry of Communications, for Ecole d’Aviation Civile / Burgerlijke Luchtvaartschool (founded in May 1952) but Sabena continued the operations and it was based at Grimbergen airfield. On June 22 1988 it was severely damaged during a forced landing in a cornfield at Beigem (Belgium) just after it had taken off from Grimbergen airfield but encountered engine troubles. Luckely the pilot survived and afterwards the fuselage of this airframe was for some years stored inside a hangar at Grimbergen airfield. On September 12 1991 it was sold to a couple private owners of the States (L. Hale & J. Magoffin Jr) and nine days later it was shipped in a container bound for the U.S.A...Two years later on October 5 1993 it was cancelled from the register moving the same day to the American one as"N260MA" after the necessary repairs were done.