Its pilot Paul Mantz was killed in an accident during a touch-and-go maneuver to simulate a takeoff, after which the plane was replaced by a crudely modified North American O-47A.

In late 1964 or early 1965 Tallmantz Aviation, Inc. of Orange County, California was hired by 20th Century Fox to supervise the aerial sequences for their upcoming film The Flight of the Phoenix.

Tallmantz Aviation owners Mantz and Frank Tallman were well-known movie stunt pilots, but in order to provide a realistic film prop, they hired Otto Timm, a highly respected aeronautical engineer and designer, to create a new aircraft.

A second Phoenix model, built to closely resemble the main P-1 but not for actual flight, was constructed from Fairchild R4Q-1 (a USMC version of the C-82) components and was used extensively for ground shots, including some in which its engine was running.

The flying sequences were all filmed at Pilot Knob Mesa, Winterhaven, located in Imperial Valley, California on the northern fringes of Yuma, Arizona.

Although principal photography finished on August 13, 1965, to complete filming, a North American O-47A ms/n 25-554 from the Air Museum in Claremont, California was modified to substitute for the Phoenix.