Commando 41-12386

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-15-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-12386

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26513

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU153

FATE: Written off

  May 1943 to September 1947

  41-12386 - USAAF (USA)

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May 1943

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

  September 1947 to unknown date

  41-12386 - USAF (USA)

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18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.

  Unknown date to December 1957

  41-12386 - CALIFORNIA EASTERN AVIATION INC. (USA)

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Unknown date

Probably leased by the USAF to California Eastern Aviation.

  December 1957 to March 1965

  41-12386 - USAF (USA)

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16 December 1957

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

10 April 1964

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  March 1965 to 1972

  N4783S - FOUR STAR AVIATION INC. (USA)

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2 March 1965

Purchased less engines from USAF. Total airframe time 6,121 hours.

  1972 to March 1973

  CP-969 - AIR BOLIVIA (BOLIVIA)

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1972

Purchased.

22 March 1973

Crashed into Cerro Picon, Bolivia (3/3 fatalities). [this location cannot be found anywhere]

 

Right: the Commando’s ruggedness is shown to advantage as CP-969 is being loaded somewhere in Bolivia, December 1972
Photo credit: Christian Volpati / Wikimedia Commons

Below: CP-969 at ease on a dirt strip of the Altiplano in Bolivia.
Photo credit: Paul Zogg / zoggavia.com