Commando 42-101230
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-101230
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30685
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1221
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
October 1944 to April 1946
42-101230 - USAAF (USA)
20 October 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to the 4th Combat Cargo Group, 14th Combat Cargo Squadron based at Bowman Field, KY.
Mid-November 1944
Ferried from Morrison Field, FL to Sylhet, Bengal, India.
Crew:
1st Lt. James F. Wakefield, Pilot
2nd Lt. Joseph A. Smith, Copilot
Sgt. Ira M. Richter, Crew Chief
Sgt. John M. Burris, Radio Operator
2 December 1944
Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.
Early December 1944
Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 14th 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 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.
Late January 1945
Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 14th 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 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.
Transported ammunition, gasoline, mules, and men to China.
November 1945
Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.
April 1946 to early 1955 Early 1955 to July 1955
42-101230 - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY (USA)
Early 1955
Probably purchased from the Indian Government, ferried to the USA and refurbished.
July 1955 to January 1956
YV-C-ART - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)
19 July 1955
Purchased but not taken up.
Stored at New York Idlewild.
9 January 1956
Registration cancelled.
January 1956 to November 1963
N5130B - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)
20 January 1956
Leased from the Florida Aircraft Leasing Corporation.
17 February 1956
Registered.
19 January 1959
Purchased from the Florida Aircraft Leasing Corporation - probably at the end of a 3-year lease-purchase agreement.
November 1963 to August 1968
N5130B - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)
29 November 1963
Transferred as Riddle changed its name to Airlift.
August 1968 to June 1969
N5130B - FLYING W AIRWAYS (USA)
7 August 1968
Purchased, or leased from the Lauderdale Leasing Corporation.
June 1969 to March 1971
N5130B - TRANS ARCTIC INC. (USA)
30 June 1969
Purchased, or leased from the Lauderdale Leasing Corporation.
13 August 1971
Registration cancelled, export to the Dominican Republic.
March 1971 to February 1977
HI-208 - AEROLINEAS ARGO (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
March 1971
Purchased.
8 February 1977
Damaged beyond repair off San Juan, PR after ditching following an engine failure (0/2 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a cargo flight from San Juan Isla Grande, PR. Shortly after takeoff, the right engine failed. The crew did not manage to feather the right propeller, and the aircraft started loosing speed and altitude. A ditching was performed off the coast of San Juan. Both occupants were rescued, while the aircraft floated and was later salvaged.
The 
NTSB report blamed poor maintenance as the main cause of the accident. The engine failure was caused by a fault in the right engine ignition system, while a loose propeller distribution valve prevented the propeller to feather. The pilot-in-command was apparently aware of these maintenance issues, but still elected to carry out the flight.
Below, left: HI-208 taxiing out at San Juan Isla Verde International, Puerto Rico on 10 April 1976.
Photo credit: Tony Pearce / Air Britain
Below, right: the same at exactly the same spot in November 1976 - it must have been carrying a scheduled cargo run from Santo Domingo to San Juan in those days.
Photo credit: Werner Fischdick / ASN
Last edited: 23/01/2024