Saturday, August 14, 2004  Convair 580 crash history  The
Convair 580 typically is used to haul freight, although the
plane can hold up to 56 passengers.  Convair 580s have been
involved in 24 accidents or crashes since 1963 involving 196
fatalities, according to the Aviation Safety Network.  Since
1977, there have been 156 accidents or incidents involving
Convair 580s in America, Federal Aviation Administration reports
show. Since 2000, there have been 15 service difficulty reports,
which indicate a major maintenance issue during a flight, filed
with the FAA.  The last fatal crash of a CV580 was in October
2003 in New Zealand. The Air Freight NZ flight was carrying mail
from Christchurch to Palmerston North on a rainy night. People
reported engine noises, a bang and objects falling from the sky.
Two crewmembers were killed.  The last fatal crash in the United
States of a Convair 580 was in November 1985, when a U.S. Navy-
owned plane crashed on takeoff from Dothan, Ala., when the
plane's elevators locked. Th