Commando 42-96534
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96534
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30196
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU732
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
July 1944 to June 1946
42-96534 - USAAF (USA)
3 July 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to Air Transport Command, based at Baer Field, IN.
Unknown date
Assigned to 807th AAF Base Unit, Bergstrom AAF, TX.
26 November 1944
Damaged at Bergstrom AAF, TX in a ground accident while parked.
June 1946 to 1947
42-96534 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
5 June 1946
Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge, AAF, AR.
October 1948 to December 1949
XT-164 - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)
15 October 1948
Purchased.
May 1949
Ferried to Hong Kong after the Nationalist defeat in mainland China, and impounded by British Authorities under threat from the Communist Chinese government.
13 November 1949
Registration certificate suspended by the Nationalist government.
December 1949
XT-164 - CLAIRE L. CHENNAULT & WHITING WILLAUER (USA)
12 December 1949
Purchased by Claire Chennault & Whiting Willauer, managers of CAT – while still grounded at Hong Kong Kai Tak. This was part of an attempt supported by the US State Department to regain ownership of several CNAC & CATC aircraft.
December 1949 to May 1955
N8383C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)
19 December 1949
Transferred to CAT.
March 1956 to June 1958
HK-391 - LLOYD AEREO COLOMBIANO (COLOMBIA)
March 1956
Purchased and christened “Santa Maria”. [“Santa Margarita” according to Aviacol.net]
26 June 1958
Damaged beyond repair in Puerto Colombia, Colombia in a forced landing on the shore (0/23 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a scheduled passenger flight between Barranquilla, Colombia and Miami, FL. Enroute, the crew encountered engine problems and elected to divert to the nearest airport. Eventually, the Captain decided to attempt an emergency landing on a beach located near Puerto Colombia. The airplane belly landed on the shore and came to rest. All occupants escaped uninjured but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Remains dismantled and stored at Bogota El Dorado Airport, Colombia.
4 December 1968
Remains destroyed by TAXADER Douglas DC3 HK-873 in unknown circumstances.
Last edited: 19/08/2020