Commando 41-12318
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-5-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-12318
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26445
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU85
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
March 1943 to October 1945
41-12318 - USAAF (USA)
3 March 1943
Damaged in Buffalo, NY in a ground accident.
20 March 1943
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to New Castle AAB, DE.
1 May 1943
Assigned to Karachi, Sindh, India.
Assigned to ATC India-China Wing.
15 February 1944
Assigned to ATC Central African Wing.
7 July 1944
Assigned back to the continental USA.
October 1945 to January 1949
41-12318 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
25 October 1945
Transferred to RFC, stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.
March 1949 to April 1951
CC-CYA-0141 - LYON AIR (CHILE)
March 1949
Purchased.
28 April 1951
Damaged beyond repair near Los Antiguos, Argentina in a forced landing (0/11 fatalities).
Enroute to Balmaceda, Chile, the crew was informed about poor weather conditions at destination and diverted to Chile Chico, Chile. There, the crew encountered poor visibility and the pilot-in-command decided to attempt an emergency landing in an open field. The aircraft crash landed in Los Antiguos, east of Chile Chico. While all 11 occupants were rescued, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Last edited: 15/05/2019