Commando 42-96602

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96602

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30264

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU800

FATE: Written off

  July 1944 to 1955

  42-96602 - USAAF (USA)

11 July 1944

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

31 July 1944

Assigned to ATC North African Division.

25 September 1944

Damaged in Casablanca, French Morocco in a ground accident while parked.

Unknown date

Assigned to Cairo Payne Field, Egypt.

[AV.CA then has this Commando assigned to 3028^th AAF Base Unit, based at Luke Field, AZ from 1946, but this is unlikely]

23 July 1946

Condemned for salvage, probably by the Army-Navy Liquidation Commission, but apparently not broken up.

  1955 to November 1955

  N9903F - SANDAY & CO. (USA)

1955

Purchased. [personal assumption – no source actually quotes Sanday, but see 42-96600 above]

Ferried from Cairo Payne Field, Egypt to Venice, Italy for overhaul at Officine Aeronavali.

  November 1955 to November 1963

  N9903F - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)

November 1955

Purchased.

16 January 1962

Received major damage at Loring AFB, ME in a belly landing following an engine failure (0/2 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a maintenance test flight from Loring AFB. An engine failed after takeoff and the copilot inadvertently feathered the wrong engine. No restart could be attempted as the battery was depleted. The aircraft glided down and landed with the gear partially extended.

Repaired.

  November 1963 to unknown date

  N9903F - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)

November 1963

Transferred as Riddle Airlines became Airlift International.

27 August 1964

Destroyed by Hurricane Cleo in Miami, FL. The Commando was blown 1 km away and turned upside down while stored engineless on the ramp.

Right & below: the wreck of N9903F after Hurricane Cleo hit Miami on 27 August 1964.
Photo credit: Larry Johnson / www.aerialvisuals.ca

  Unknown dates

  N9903F - FRANCIS "GUS" A. CONNER (USA)

Unknown date

Wreck purchased, probably remained stored in Miami, FL.

Registration cancelled.