The deep-red and silver F- 10 Fokker monoplane sat damply on the runway at Kansas City, Missouri, rivulets of water running over its striated metal fuselage as a cold drizzle enveloped it. Its three motors growled evenly, its propellers cutting a glistening circle in the drizzle. Tuesday, March 31, 193 1, was a miserable day, and at 9 A.M. the pilot was giving the engines a pre-takeoff warm-up.
The Department of Commerce registration number, NC-999, stood out starkly on the tail assembly, identifying the red Fokker as a Transcontinental Western passenger and mail plane. The Fokker could accommodate ten passengers, five on each side, with a narrow aisle between.
Its destination was Los Angeles. Takeoff time was 9:15, with the first stop at Wichita at 10:25. There would be two mail stops between Wichita and L.A., but no other passengers were scheduled to board NC-999 at any stop.
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