Commando 41-24739

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24739

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26660

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU300

FATE: Written off

  October 1943 to January 1944

  41-24739 - USAAF (USA)

26 October 1943

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

24 December 1943

Assigned to ATC India-China Wing based at Station 11, Missamari, Assam, India.

29 January 1944

Went missing over Assam, India (4/4 missing). [MACR 2318]

Crew:
2^nd Lt Huland K. "Buddy" Hunt, Pilot
2^nd Lt Lawrence H. Fox, Copilot
Cpl Alphonse B. Kupchun, Radio Operator
Pfc Kenneth L. Seidel, Engineer

The Commando left Chanyi, Yunnan, China at 1540 LT bound for Missamari, Assam, India. No radio contact was received after it departed Chanyi, and it failed to arrive. At the time of the accident, weather reports indicated strong winds of up to 86 knots from the southwest at altitudes above 18,000 feet, and severe icing up to 21,000 feet.

5 February 1944

Condemned for salvage.

Unknown date

Wreckage found at 3,700 feet in a jungle and mountain area located northeast of Rilu, Assam, India [this location cannot be found anywhere]. There was no trace of the crew.

10 April 1945

Crew declared dead.