It was the first aircraft that aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky designed and built after coming to the United States, hence the special "-A" suffix signifying "America".

The machine featured a twin vertical stabilizer design and was originally fitted with a pair of Hispano-Suiza 8 engines rated at 220 hp (160 kW) each.

The pilot and mechanic sat in an open cockpit halfway between the main wings and the tail, while up to 14 passengers were accommodated forward within the streamlined fuselage.

The crash was caused by low engine speed leading to insufficient thrust due to excessive pitch of the propellers.

The aircraft made over 300 successful flights, but with the airline industry only just emerging in the United States at that time, the S-29 failed to attract the customers that Sikorsky had hoped.

[3] Eventually Sikorsky sold the S-29-A to Roscoe Turner in 1927 (some sources state 1926), and it had a varied career in merchandising (Curlee Clothing) and acting as a flying cigar store (among other roles).