Commando 42-101121

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-101121

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30576

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1112

FATE: Written off

  September 1944 to September 1947

  42-101121 - USAAF (USA)

September 1944

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

  September 1947 to January 1958

  42-101121 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Modified by Curtiss-Wright for USAF.

Unknown date

Assigned to 2473^rd Air Force Reserve Training Center, based at Offutt AFB, NE.

8 May 1950

Received major damage at Memphis Municipal, TN during an engine failure on takeoff.

Pilot: Woodrow C. Thomson

  January 1958 to July 1958

  N5509A - AIR INTERNATIONAL INC. (USA)

January 1958

Purchased.

  July 1958 to ca 1961

  N5509A - PRIVATE (USA)

14 July 1958

Purchased by Sidney Thal, OK.

8 July 1959

Registration cancelled, exported to Chile.

  ca 1961 to ca 1964

  CC-COA-0331 - LASA (LINEA AEREA SUD AMERICANA) (CHILE)

ca 1961

Purchased.

  ca 1964 to January 1973

  CC-COA - TAS (TRANSPORTES AEREOS SQUELLA) (CHILE)

ca 1964

Purchased.

12 May 1964

Damaged at Cerro Moreno, Chile in a ground collision with another Commando (no fatalities).

Commando CC-CAT of Linea Aerea Condor was parked fully loaded on the ramp. Its parking brake had been released, as wooden chocks had been placed on the main wheels. However, strong winds and the apron slope led the aircraft to jump the chocks. The pilot did not have time to operate the brakes, and CC-CAT collided with CC-COA parked 25 meters away and undergoing maintenance.

Top: two shots of CC-COA, unknown date and location.
Photo credit: Michel Anciaux / Aviation Rainbows

Above: the 12 May 1964 ground collision with CC-CAT.
Photo credit: DGAC / Ivan G. Siminic

Right: CC-COA seen in Miami, FL at an unknown date.
Photo credit: Larry Johnson / AVCA

Below: a shot of CC-COA in May 1969 in Santiago, and another one on 30 December 1972.
Photo credit: repectively Reginald Rowe & Christian Volpati

  January 1973 to December 1973

  CC-COA - TAS (TRANSPORTES AEREOS SURAVIA) (CHILE)

January 1973

Transferred as Transportes Aereos Squella became Transportes Aereos Suravia.

17 December 1973

Damaged beyond repair in Aysen, Chile after a structural failure in bad weather (3/3 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cargo flight into Aysen, Chile. During approach, the left elevator separated from the aircraft for unknown reasons. The airplane entered a dive to the left and crashed to the ground. All aboard were killed and the Commando was destroyed on impact.