The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

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.

  1949 to September 1949

  N51288 - SUN CHEMICAL CORPORATION (USA)


1949

Purchased from RFC.

  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