Commando 41-24717
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24717
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26638
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU278
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
September 1943 to January 1944
41-24717 - USAAF (USA)
25 September 1943
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
22 January 1944
Assigned to ATC India-China Wing based at Station 6, Chabua, Assam, India.
24 March 1944
Went missing over India (4/4 missing). [MACR 3504]
The Commando was performing a night instrument cargo flight from Chabua, Assam, India to Tezpur, Assam, India, with an intermediate stop in Ondal, Bengal, India. Enroute on the first leg of the journey, while cruising over the mountainous south part of Arunachal Pradesh in poor weather conditions, the aircraft disappeared. Light to moderate thunderstorm activity with ground fog and intermittent hail was reported along the entire route, with heaviest storm activity in the Tezpur and Missamari areas. Search operations were suspended after a few days as no trace of the aircraft could be found.
Crew:
1st Lt Richard S. Austin, Pilot [memorial picture on FAG shows 1st Lt Charles W. Smith Jr instead]
2nd Lt Joe O. Hudgins, Copilot
Cpl Giles Q. Stevens, Radio Operator
Cpl Arnold B. Stavinoha, Engineer
29 March 1944
Condemned for salvage.
2007
Wreckage found in a mountainous region located 7 miles north of Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India.