Commando 42-96768
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96768
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30430
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU966
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
September 1944 to October 1945
42-96768 - USAAF (USA)
7 September 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
Assigned to the 1st Operational Training Unit (1 OTU), C Squadron, based at the 561st AAF Base Unit, Rosecrans Field, MO.
2 January 1945
Damaged at Rosecrans Field, MO in a landing accident.
Pilot: John H. Hudson
October 1945 to 1949
42-96768 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
25 October 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.
Early 1950's
N51424 - TALOA (TRANSOCEAN AIR LINES) (USA)
Several sources quote this Commando as being with TALOA from 1949 to 1954, with photographic support [Aerobernie, RZ, taloa.org]. According to the latter, N51424 was deployed in TALOA’s mid-east operations. However photos of a groundloop in the snow seem to suggest that the aircraft was rather used on the PET4 operation (Navy Petroleum District Number 4) flying between Fairbanks and Barrows, AK between 1950 and 1952. Was the Commando on lease from AAXICO at the time? Information is welcome.
Right & below: N51424 in TALOA colors groundlooped at an unknown date in a place that looks like northern Alaska.
Photo credit: unknown / www.taloa.org
November 1954 to 1955
N51424 - FEDERATED AIRLINES (USA)
November 1954
Purchased.
Below: N51424 in Federated Airlines colors, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: Ed Coates / www.edcoatescollection.com
1955 to April 1955
N51424 - CAPITOL AIR (USA)
1955
Purchased.
2 April 1955
Destroyed at sea off Pensacola, FL following a loss of control in bad weather (2/2 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a cargo flight from Brookley AFB, AL to Robins AFB, GA. While cruising over the Gulf of Mexico, the crew encountered very poor weather conditions. In thunderstorm activity, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea off Pensacola. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.
Last edited: 02/06/2020