The aircraft was not with Pan Am. It was only the third production 240, new as the first of Western's fleet (N8401H) at the end of 1948, traded in after 10 years to Lockheed for a turboprop Electra. Lockheed passed it on to major dealer California Airmotive (apparently the first ever aircraft this later well-known organisation handled) who put the engines of the -300 mod onto it, and fitted the exec interior. It never ran for an airline again but spent the next 20 years operating with a whole range of corporate operators and registrations. This was quite usual with older small airliners at the time, before executive jets were common. Probably didn't accumulate a lot of hours compared to an airline, such aircraft don't. However, by 1977 it would definitely be at the bottom of the exec charter market. It seems to have been the operator's only Convair. They had had it for just 4 months. Operator was L&J Company, you will have to look them up. Probably Len and Jeff or similar. What were the accident aircraft's pilots' names ?
If you want further examples of how organisations not particularly savvy with the exec charter market go for the low bidder (and thus their experience/capability), look no further than the recent loss of the Brazilian football team in Colombia, with an inappropriate aircraft for the task. Or closer to home, the Buddy Holly and colleagues accident with a decidedly flimsy aircraft and pilot for the winter night task.
Yes, chartering your own multi-engine aircraft is expensive. And you get what you pay for.
I presume you've read this
Forbes Welcome . No idea how accurate it is. Note that although the two pilots lost their lives, 20 of the 24 passengers survived. For so many to get away with it in a deadstick landing at night into a totally forested area, those here can draw their own conclusions. There was apparently no flight attendant. This would be unusual on an executive charter of this scale, unless, again, minimum cost was all.