California, San Diego, Airplane Passenger and Crew Lists - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains Passenger and Crew Lists of Airplanes Arriving at San Diego, California, from February 4, 1929-November 24, 1954 from foreign ports. The airplane crew lists cover 1941-1954. These records correspond with NARA publication A3472 part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The collection is arranged by date of arrival.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Passenger / Crew lists
 * Name
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Race
 * Nationality
 * U.S. destination
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and court of naturalization
 * U.S. address
 * Place of departure
 * Where Landed
 * Date of arrival

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age or date and place of arrival or departure

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the  NARA Roll Number to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the record to learn the place of origin then search for vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage, and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
 * Use the information found in the record to find probate records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and property records
 * If applicable, search for military records as well

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching other possible localities or ports of entry
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the naturalization petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, then in state, county, or city courts. An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of California.
 * California Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:"California, San Diego, Airplane Passenger and Crew Lists, 1929-1954." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Citing NARA microfilm publication A3472. College Park, Maryland: National Archives and Records Administration, 2008.

Top of Page