Commando 42-96681

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96681

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30343

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU879

FATE: Written off

  July 1944 to January 1946

  42-96681 - USAAF (USA)

31 July 1944

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

Assigned to Air Transport Command Domestic Wing, 4^th Ferrying Group based at Berry Field, TN.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 3^rd Operational Training Unit (3 OTU), based at Reno AAF, NV.

31 August 1944

Received major damage at Reno AAF, NV in a landing accident.

Pilot: Robert D. Hamilton

  January 1946 to 1949

  42-96681 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

13 January 1946

Transferred to RFC and stored at Bush Field, GA.

  1949 to December 1949

  N51014 - SUN CHEMICAL CORPORATION (USA)

1949

Purchased from RFC.

  December 1949 to January 1951

  PP-XCS - LOIDE AEREO NACIONAL (BRAZIL)

30 December 1949

Purchased and given an import registration (“pasavante”).

  January 1951 to May 1954

  PP-LDI - LOIDE AEREO NACIONAL (BRAZIL)

10 January 1951

Reregistered.

12 May 1953

Received major damage at Sao Paulo Congonhas, Brazil in a landing accident (0/17 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo with 2 pilots and 15 passengers. On landing, the right main gear collapsed. The right engine and wing caught fire when the aircraft ran off the runway.

  May 1954 to February 1962

  PP-LDQ - LOIDE AEREO NACIONAL (BRAZIL)

17 May 1954

Reregistered, probably after repairs were completed. [AB quotes the date as 1960, JB & RZ as February 1962 with VASP]

  February 1962 to December 1965

  PP-LDQ - VASP (VIACAO AEREA SAO PAULO) (BRAZIL)

February 1962

Transferred as Loide merged into VASP.

19 December 1965

Damaged beyond repair in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil in an accident following an engine failure (0/54 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Salvador de Bahia to Rio de Janeiro with 3 crewmembers and 51 passengers. After takeoff, left engine power had to be reduced due to a high oil temperature warning. The crew experienced difficulties maintaining height and added power on the engine again. While trying to return to the airport the engine failed, and a forced landing was made in an open field short of the airport. All 54 occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.