Commando 44-77563

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77563

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32959

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1495

FATE: Written off

  December 1944 to September 1947

  44-77563 - USAAF (USA)

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December 1944

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

Early 1945

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, 48^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Grevillers-Achiet (B-54), France.

Marked "Z7".

24 March 1945

Damaged during Operation Varsity over Wesel, Germany.

  September 1947 to October 1973

  44-77563 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 514^th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 335^th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium based at Mitchel AFB, NY.

5 October 1952

Received minor damage at Chanute AFB, IL in a taxi accident while parked.

While parked at Chanute AFB, IL, the Commando was hit by sistership 44-77552 taxied nearby by William H. Burgess.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2577^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Brooks AFB, TX.

3 May 1958

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

2 February 1959

Sent to reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

Withdrawn from surplus list.

  October 1973 to January 1974

  N91371 (II) - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)

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October 1973

Purchased from USAF.

[only N91371 (I) actually appears on the FAA registry]

  January 1974 to April 1975

  CP-1063 (I) - SAVCO (BOLIVIA)

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January 1974

Purchased.

23 April 1975

Damaged beyond repair near Cochabamba, Bolivia in an approach accident (4/4 fatalities). [date also noted as 24 April 1975]

The Commando was operating a cargo flight into Cochabamba, Bolivia with three crew members and one passenger on board. During the approach, it seems to have descended too early in IMC and struck the Cerro Sayari at an altitude of 14,200ft. The aircraft was destroyed and all occupants were killed.