What we know so far about the "mystery plane" in Zimbabwe:

[Robb]

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2004/03/09/10HARARE_R,0.jpg

It's a Boeing C-22B, the U.S. government version of a 727. Tail number N4610 (previously 83-4610), serial number 18811.

It was one of 4 C-22B's operated by the Air National Guard out of Andrews AFB, they were slated to be replaced by C-40's in the 2001-2002 time frame, because parts were getting scarce and expensive.

It was seen in a hangar at Andrews AFB in D.C. by planespotters as late as May 2001.

Joe Baugher's uncommonly meticulous serial number database indicates 18811 was sold Jan 11, 2002 to Dodson International Parts, inc and then to Dodson Aviation Jan 14, 2002. Presumably the seller was the U.S. Air Force.

The Jetphotos.net census lists 18811 as "scrapped" by Dodson. Which is interesting, since Dodson's president claims here that the aircraft was "in very good condition" when he sold it, only last week.

It's amazing he sold it so quickly, since his website http://www.dodson.com/81boeing727.htm">archive shows he's had another 727 for sale since at least May of 2000. 18811 also appears to have sold without any advertising, since it never appears in the "aircraft for sale" section of the site (neither in archives nor in the current version online).

Fishy? Hell yes.

[htuttle]

1. Throw these data points into the mix

From LBN today, an apparently related group of mercenaries captured in Equatorial Guinea:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x409595

DAKAR, March 9 (Reuters) - Some 15 suspected mercenaries have been arrested in the tiny oil-rich West African nation of Equatorial Guinea after a widespread clampdown on foreign nationals, the government said on Tuesday.

"Some 15 mercenaries have been arrested here in Equatorial Guinea and it was connected with that plane in Zimbabwe. They were the advance party of that group," Information Minister Agustin Nse Nfumu told Reuters by telephone.

Another from an LBN thread repeating the suspected Equatorial Guinea destination:

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1495367,00.html

Harare - A group of South African "mercenaries" were believed to be aboard a Boeing 727-100 seized by Zimbabwe at Harare International Airport.

Zimbabwe home affairs minister Kembo Mohadi said on Monday a United States-registered aircraft, carrying military equipment and 64 suspected mercenaries, had been impounded by Zimbabwe authorities on Sunday.

The men are believed to have been arrested, and the aircraft taken to Manyame airport base outside Harare.

Information about the men and the aircraft was scarce on Monday night, but intelligence sources told Beeld the aircraft was possibly on its way to West Africa.

The flight can possibly be connected with an imminent coup de etat in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea, as you may or may not be aware, has lots of oil.

[Robb]

3. Wonder if that, or any of this, is related

to the 727 that went missing from Angola in May. :shrug:

Planes, planes, planes... I'm not sure what's connected to what without any details -- N-numbers, for example.

[AP]

5. Dobson admits to having possession of the plane until a week ago.

[phoebe]

9. well we can be pretty sure where the CIA is getting its illicit, under the

radar (no pun intended) transport planes for some of its missions in Africa.

[Robb]

4. double post

(delete)

[AP]

2. It flew into Harrare via South Africa with a planeload of burly white men

on board.

[seemslikeadream]

6. Mystery plane flew from S Africa

However, another report suggests they were heading to DR Congo to guard mining operations there.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3545507.stm

Congo is where Barrick is mining


War is Golden for the Bush Administration

And the commodities connection? President Pretzel's relentless hissy-fit for war on Iraq has of course goosed the price of gold enormously--and that's set Bush Family coffers a-clinking. How so? In the waning days of his failed presidency, Bush I invoked an obscure 1872 statute to give a Canadian firm, Barrick Corporation, the right to mine $10 billion in gold from U.S. public lands. (U.S. taxpayers got a whopping $10,000 fee in return.) Bush then joined Barrick as a highly-paid "international consultant," brokering deals with various dictators of his close acquaintance. Barrick reciprocated with big bucks for Junior's presidential run. And in another quid for the old pro quo, last year Junior dutifully approved Barrick's controversial acquisition of a major rival. (Barrick is also one of the biggest polluters in America, by the way.)
http://www.counterpunch.org/floyd02152003.html

[AP]

7. SA spokesman says plane was likely on illicit journey:

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authorities in South Africa, Moses Seate, has said the plane took off from the domestic Wonderboom airport, north of the capital Pretoria.

If confirmed, the plane looks likely to have been attempting an illicit journey by making an international flight from a domestic airport.

(from the BBC article above)

[ThomWV]

8. So?

If you don't mind me asking, what do you think is the significance of this airplane? Is it being used to drop nuclear devices on democrats or something?

[AP]

10. Venezuela...Haiti...Africa: anywhere a country is trying to retain a little

of the wealth created by the nation, the US is covertly (or overtly, in the case of Haiti) sending in mercenaries in order to protect wealth.

[Robb]

11. That's one implied significance, sure...

...an easier case to make is that it's concerning that aircraft with this kind of range are winding up in the hands of mercenaries no one seems to know anything about. Especially when they've so recently been at Andrews.

(On Edit): From globalsecurity.org:

The C-22B's unique arrangement of leading-edge devices and trailing-edge flaps permit lower approach speeds, thus allowing operation from runways never intended for a 600-mph (Mach 0.82) aircraft.

...Seems like a no-brainer that mercenaries would love a jet like this.

[Stephanie]

16. Are there any restrictions on who buys a plane like that?

Al Queda would surely love to own a plane like that. Would they have the ability to buy one? If not, is there any way to be sure? Are theses sales tracked like gun sales?

[seemslikeadream]

13. Maybe Congo

http://www.gregpalast.com/detail.cfm?artid=229&row=1

[lostnfound]

17. Some of us care about all the dead people in the class wars

of third world countries which the CIA seems so eager to perpetuate.

We are just wondering which nation is the next likely target of that particular style of misery.

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. add another country (Burundi) into the possible mix

http://iafrica.com/news/sa/308483.htm

The company alleges it sold the plane to a company called Logo Ltd, or Logo Logistics, but neither company is known to local aviation enthusiasts.
...
Sources say the ill-fated plane, supposedly destined for Bujumbura, Burundi, departed South Africa from in front of a hangar belonging to Dodson's International Parts (SA) Pty Ltd.
...
It was scheduled to fly from Wonderboom airport at Pretoria to Polokwane International Airport and from there to Bujumbura, but apparently skipped landing in Polokwane. As planes are not allowed to cross the border from Wonderboom this would make its trip illegal.

Observers at the Wonderboom airport said the plane arrived around 8am and departed at 4pm.

Shortly before it left a bus load of black men reportedly boarded.
...
The passengers were described in the Zimbabwean state media as "all heavily built males", most of whom were white.

[AP]

14. From that article, Dodson has a South African subsidiary. They claim they

sold the plane in KA a week ago, and that the buyers flew it out of the country.

The article says, the plane left "South Africa from in front of a hangar belonging to Dodson's International Parts (SA) Pty Ltd."

Now, it wouldn't be unusual for the buyer to fly the plane from the US and take advantage of the seller's facilities in SA.

But if I were a buyer from a company which had an office at the destination I wanted the plane to end up at, I would ask for delivery in SA, with money changing hands there, and with the obligation to insure and register to begin in SA.

[AP]

15. Another interesting quote:

Reports on Tuesday said the plane could have been on its way to West Africa, headed for a threatening coup in Equatorial Guinea, a small former-Spanish colony wedged between Cameroon and Gabon. Its capital, Malabo, is on an island offshore Cameroon's coast. Oil was recently discovered in its waters.

[seemslikeadream]

18. South Africa, Zimbabwe trained 'mercenaries'

By Mduduzi Mathuthu
09/03/04
THE South African government alerted Zimbabwean authorities to the plane carrying alleged mercenaries now detained in Zimbabwe, New Zimbabwe.com can reveal.

Sensational details about the 64 alleged mercenaries now held emerged today when New Zmbabwe.com was told that their training was monitored by the South African Defence Forces (Sadf) under joint comms with the Zimbabwean Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).

"When Mugabe learnt that the plane was registered to an American company he saw it as an opportunity for a propaganda coup....It was the perfect chance to hit back at the United States," a senior government official privy to the matter said.

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/plane9.1521.html

[Robb]

19. New picture of 83-4610

...well, "old" picture, actually. Exact aircraft with its old markings.
File is in this directory:
http://www.combatindex.com/hardware/images/air/c22/

c-22_01.jpg is 4160.


(On edit): Here she is at an airshow in England, July 2001.