Commando 41-12318

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

  March 1943 to October 1945

  41-12318 - USAAF (USA)

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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)

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25 October 1945

Transferred to RFC, stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.

  January 1949 to March 1949

  N5620N - UNKNOWN (USA)

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January 1949

Purchased from RFC.

  March 1949 to April 1951

  CC-CYA-0141 - LYON AIR (CHILE)

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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.