Commando 42-101078

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-101078

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30533

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1069

FATE: Written off

  September 1944 to unknown date

  42-101078 - CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION (USA)

13 September 1944

Transferred from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY to the one in Louisville, KY.

  Unknown date to April 1946

  42-101078 - USAAF (USA)

Unknown date

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Louisville, KY.

Assigned to the 4^th Combat Cargo Group, 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron based at Bowman Field, KY.

Mid-November 1944

Ferried from Morrison Field, FL to Sylhet, Bengal, India.

Crew:
1^st Lt. William R. King Jr., Pilot
2^nd Lt. Anthony J. Kretten, Copilot
SSgt. Ira J. Cherry, Crew Chief
Sgt. Kenwood L. Boyington, Radio Operator

1 December 1944

Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.

Early December 1944

Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Transported reinforcements and supplies for Allied forces in Burma.

December 1944

Transported material and equipment for the Ledo Road.

Early January 1945

Moved to Agartala, Tripura, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Late January 1945

Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

February 1945

Transported men, mules, and boats to support the Allied crossing of the Irrawaddy River, Burma.

May 1945

Dropped Gurkha paratroops during the assault on Rangoon.

June 1945

Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Transported ammunition, gasoline, mules, and men to China.

November 1945

Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 14^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

   April 1946 to July 1954

  42-101078 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)

10 April 1946

Purchased.

   July 1954

  42-101078 - BANWARI LAL & CO. (INDIA)

July 1954

Purchased.

  July 1954 to December 1955

  N68852 - BORGES TILLOTSON AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

July 1954

Purchased.

20 May 1955

Arrived in London Heathrow, UK during the ferry flight from India to the USA.

Pilot refused to continue and abandoned the plane.

2 July 1955

Finally left London Heathrow, UK for the USA with another ferry pilot.

Right: N68852 stranded in Heathrow, summer of 1955. Judging by its appearance, one might guess why the pilot refused to cross the Atlantic with this aircraft.
Photo credit: Brian Stainer / M. West / Air Britain

  December 1955

  N68852 - BORGES DUSTERS INC. (USA)

8 December 1955

Transferred.

  December 1955 to ca 1956

  XA-LIC - ACCESORIOS AERONAUTICOS (MEXICO)

December 1955

Purchased.

  ca 1956 to May 1957

  XA-LIC - TIGRES VOLADORES (MEXICO)

ca 1956

Leased from Accesorios Aeronauticos by J. H. Lopez, to be operated by Tigres Voladores.

  May 1957 to September 1961

  XB-FIY - ACCESORIOS AERONAUTICOS (MEXICO)

May 1957

Returned from lease to J. H. Lopez.

Withdrawn from use in Celaya, Mexico.

October 1958

Ferried to Mexico City, Mexico.

6 April 1959

Reregistered.

  September 1961

  XB-FIY - BORGES DUSTERS INC. (USA)

24 September 1961

Purchased.

  September 1961

  N218C - CAROLINA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

25 September 1961

Purchased.

5 March 1962

Reregistered. [also quoted as 12 March 1962]

  1962 to May 1962

  HR-196P - HONDURAS INTERNATIONAL (HONDURAS)

1962

Lease-purchased from Canley and Martin by C. Varney Arnspiger & Lucille Arnspiger, to be operated by Honduras International.

21 May 1962

Damaged beyond repair in San Perdo Sula, Honduras in an accident after takeoff (2/2 fatalities and 3 ground fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cargo flight from San Pedro Sula to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Shortly after takeoff, during the initial climb, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a residential area. Both pilots and three people on the ground were killed, while the aircraft and several buildings were destroyed.