Commando 42-96718
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96718
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30380
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU916
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
August 1944 to November 1945
42-96718 - USAAF (USA)
19 August 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command, based at Baer Field, IN.
November 1945 to 1948
42-96718 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
8 November 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.
November 1948 to December 1949
XT-168 - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)
18 November 1948
Purchased.
May 1949
Ferried to Hong Kong after the Nationalist defeat in mainland China, and impounded by British Authorities under threat from the Communist Chinese government.
13 November 1949
Registration certificate suspended by the Nationalist government.
December 1949
XT-168 - CLAIRE L. CHENNAULT & WHITING WILLAUER (USA)
12 December 1949
Purchased by Claire Chennault & Whiting Willauer, managers of CAT – while still grounded at Hong Kong Kai Tak. This was part of an attempt supported by the US State Department to regain ownership of several CNAC & CATC aircraft.
December 1949 to February 1953
N8385C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)
19 December 1949
Transferred to CAT.
February 1953 to December 1956
N2028A - ZANTOP FLYING SERVICE (USA)
February 1953
Purchased.
16 December 1956
Damaged beyond repair in Long Beach, CA in a landing accident (0/4 fatalities).
Following an uneventful cargo flight, the crew started the approach to Long Beach under VFR. On final, the Commando went through a patch of fog. In zero visibility, the airplane descended until it struck the ground and crashed few dozen yards short of the runway threshold. All four crew members were slightly injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Last edited: 19/08/2020