Commando 42-96684
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96684
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30346
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU882
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
August 1944 to November 1945
42-96684 - USAAF (USA)
2 August 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to the 3rd Operational Training Unit (3 OTU), based at Reno AAF, NV.
1 April 1945
Damaged at Reno AAF, NV in a landing accident.
Pilot: Joseph E. Tracey
November 1945 to 1949
42-96684 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
8 November 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.
September 1949 to April 1950
PP-XCN - TCA (TRANSPORTE CARGA AEREA) (BRAZIL)
16 September 1949
Purchased and given an import registration (“pasavante”). [erroneously quoted as PP-XCP by AB]
April 1950 to December 1950
PP-LDD - LOIDE AEREO NACIONAL (BRAZIL)
3 April 1950
Transferred as TCA became Loide Aereo Nacional, and reregistered.
17 December 1950
Damaged beyond repair in Campinha Grande, Brazil in a belly landing (0/49 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a scheduled passenger flight between Campinha Grande and Rio de Janeiro with 5 crew and 44 passengers. Shortly after takeoff, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the Captain decided to return for a safe landing. For some reason – maybe a technical issue with the undercarriage – the aircraft belly landed, slid for several hundred yards and came to rest on the runway. While all 49 occupants were evacuated safely, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Last edited: 09/03/2020