Commando 42-61026

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-41-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-61026

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26901

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU541

FATE: Written off

  April 1944 to April 1946

  42-61026 - USAAF (USA)

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8 April 1944

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

11 May 1944

Assigned to ATC India-China Wing.

15 December 1944

Received major damage in Paoshan, Yunnan, China in a taxi accident.

Pilot: Thane D. Croston

Unknown date

Assigned to Karachi, Sindh, India.

   April 1946 to June 1956

  42-61026 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)

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10 April 1946

Purchased.

  June 1956 to August 1956

  N????? - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY (USA)

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June 1956

Purchased and ferried from India to Miami, FL.

  August 1956 to November 1956

  PP-LDW (II) - LOIDE AEREO NACIONAL (BRAZIL)

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10 August 1956

Purchased, but apparently never operated by Loide.

  November 1956 to May 1959

  PP-BTA - PARAENSE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)

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16 November 1956

Purchased.

4 September 1957

Reregistered.

6 May 1959

Damaged beyond repair near Belem, Brazil in an accident after takeoff (3/3 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a night flight from Belem to Cristalandia, Brazil, where it was going to pick up a cargo of meat. During the initial climb from Belem, the aircraft made a right turn at low altitude, crashed and caught fire.