Commando 42-96580
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96580
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30242
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU778
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
July 1944 to April 1946
42-96580 - USAAF (USA)
1 July 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
9 August 1944
Assigned to ATC India-China Division.
Unknown date
Assigned to Karachi, Sindh, India.
April 1946 to 1956 1956 to November 1956
N7840B - PALM AIRCRAFT SALES (USA)
1956
Purchased and ferried from India to the USA. [Palm Aircraft Sales probable but TBC]
November 1956 to 1957
YV-C-JTE - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)
5 November 1956
Leased from Palm Aircraft Sales.
1957 to March 1959
N7840B - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)
1957
Leased from Palm Aircraft Sales.
30 March 1959
Damaged beyond repair near Alma, GA in an accident due to an inflight fire (2/2 fatalities).
Crew:
Capt Eugene P. Nesselhaus
F/O Robert H. Gillespie
The Commando was operating a night cargo flight between Orlando, FL and Atlanta, GA. Enroute, the crew reported to ATC that a fire erupted in the cabin and requested permission to divert to the nearest airport. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a prairie near Alma, GA. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and both crew members were killed. Prior to the crash, the fire was observed by ground witnesses burning through the fuselage, allowing burning cargo and debris to be scattered over a large area. After making several left orbits, the burning aircraft plunged to the ground.
The cause of the accident was determined to be the ignition of cargo in the aft belly compartment caused by contact with an unguarded light bulb. The fire then breached the compartment wall, and damaged a hydraulic unit or line in the wing center section area at the rear spar, igniting the flammable hydraulic fluid.
Total airframe time 5,455 hours.
Last edited: 07/01/2020