The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page
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  4. Commando 44-77407

Commando 44-77407

Aircraft Identification

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77407

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32803

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1339

FATE: Written off

Operational Record

  November 1944 to September 1947

  44-77407 - USAAF (USA)

November 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

  September 1947 to January 1952

  44-77407 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 437th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 84th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium based at Brady Field, Kyushu, Japan.

21 January 1952

Damaged beyond repair 3 km northwest of Brady Field, Kyushu, Japan in a ditching (no fatalities).

Pilot: 1st Lt. Edwin O. Bussey Jr.

The Commando was performing a flight to or from South Korea. The crew ditched due to a runaway engine. The crew evacuated the aircraft safely before it sank. [some sources indicate the crash took place off the coast of Korea]