Commando 42-96685
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96685
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30347
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU883
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
August 1944 to April 1946
42-96685 - USAAF (USA)
1 August 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
17 September 1944
Assigned to 20th Air Force, XX Bomber Command, 2nd Air Transport Squadron (Mobile), based at RAF Kalaikunda, Bengal, India.
31 October 1944
Moved with 2nd Air Transport Squadron to Dergaon, Assam, India.
November 1944
Moved with 2nd Air Transport Squadron to Luliang, Yunnan, China.
23 March 1945
Received major damage in Luliang, Yunnan, China in a takeoff accident.
Pilot: Robert P. Webster
During takeoff, the tailwheel failed to lock even though it had been placed in the "lock" position. The pilot lost control of the aircraft on the ground and crashed.
Unknown date
Assigned to Karachi, Sindh, India.
April 1946 to May 1957 May 1957 to June 1957
????? - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY (USA)
May 1957
Purchased.
19 June 1957
Destroyed in Panagarh, Bengal, India when the hangar it was parked in collapsed during a storm (no fatalities).