How's that for timing?
I was flipping through the channels on DirectTV this morning and found "Flight of the Phoenix" playing on FMC. I missed the first half hour but watched the rest of the movie.
As for the original plane, there are three possibilities that come to mind. The first is the C-82 Packet, the second is the C-119 Flying Boxcar (a derivative of the C-82), and the third is a French build Nord 501.
According to this link, a C-82 was used in the movie. Based on the tail and cockpit, I'd say that's accurate. As for the crash that killed Paul Mantz, here's a link showing actual accident photos. Not pretty, not pretty at all.