Commando 43-47062

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47062

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 133

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK110

FATE: Written off

  December 1944

  43-47062 - USAAF (USA)

2 December 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Louisville, KY.

  December 1944 to 1956

  50699 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

2 December 1944

Transferred as R5C-1 and delivered to NAS San Diego, CA.

December 1944

Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), MAG-35.

February 1945

Assigned to VMR-352 based at MCAS Ewa, HI.

May 1945

Assigned to VMR-953 based at MCAS Ewa, HI.

June 1945

Assigned to VMR-252.

June 1946

Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.

28 December 1946

Reconditioned at NAS San Diego, CA.

February 1947

Assigned to VMR-252 based at MCAS Cherry Point, NC.

3 May 1956

Struck off charge as surplus at NAS North Island, CA.

  1956 to April 1962

  N7762B - AAXICO (USA)

1956

Purchased.

Unknown date

Operated by Seminole. [unidentified airline]

  April 1962 to September 1962

  N7762B - ZACHRY INTERNATIONAL INC. (USA)

3 April 1962

Purchased.

  September 1962 to June 1964

  OB-LJC-670 - ZACHRY INTERNATIONAL INC. (USA)

20 September 1962

Reregistered.

Probably operated in support of the company's construction contracts in Peru.

13 May 1964

Registration cancelled.

22 May 1964

Exported to the USA. [date quoted as 22 May 1963 most likely a typo]

  June 1964 to January 1969

  N446M - ZACHRY INTERNATIONAL INC. (USA)

June 1964

Reregistered.

1966

Transferred to H. B. Zachry Company, a subsidiary of Zachry International Inc..

  January 1969 to May 1971

  N446M - GUINN FLYING SERVICE (USA)

January 1969

Purchased by Joel Guinn of Pearland, TX, owner of Guinn Flying Service.

10 May 1971

Damaged beyond repair near Houston Ellington, TX in a forced landing (0/2 fatalities). [erroneously quoted by most sources as occuring on 10 May 1973]

The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Houston, TX and Miami, FL with only two pilots onboard. Shortly after takeoff, the right propeller went into overspeed and was feathered. The overloaded airplane could not maintain altitude and was too low to turn back. The pilot performed a forced landing with the wheels up along highway I-45, hitting poles and wires in the process. Both pilots survived, but the aircraft was a write-off. The NTSB report attributed the overspeed to metal chips undetected in the oil due to poor maintenance, while the inability of the aircraft to stay airborne was due to a 508-kg overload.

16 July 1971

Registration cancelled.