Commando 42-96585

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96585

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30247

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU783

FATE: Written off

  July 1944 to March 1946

  42-96585 - USAAF (USA)

1 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 Salinas AAF, CA.

31 August 1945

Damaged at Merced AAF, CA in a taxi accident.

Pilot: Capt. Gordon L. Baldry (survived)

  March 1946 to unknown date

  42-96585 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

26 March 1946

Transferred to RFC and stored at Ontario AAF, CA.

  Unknown date to January 1948

  ????? - PRIVATE (MEXICO)

Unknown date

Purchased from RFC by L. A. Piedra.

5 January 1948

Damaged beyond repair at Zacatecas, Mexico (0/2 fatalities).

After liftoff, during the initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft (private and not registered) was written off.