Commando 43-47063

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47063

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 134

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK111

FATE: Written off

  December 1944

  43-47063 - USAAF (USA)

13 December 1944

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

  December 1944 to February 1948

  50700 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)

13 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-952 based on Guam, Marianna Islands.

1946

Moved to MCAS Cherry Point, NC with VMR-952.

31 July 1947

Struck off charge as surplus.

  February 1948 to July 1948

  N1637M - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

February 1948

Purchased.

  July 1948 to October 1948

  N1637M - EARL DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT SALES (USA)

29 July 1948

Purchased.

2 March 1951

Registration cancelled. [still under L. B. Smith's name at the time according to FAA]

  October 1948 to December 1961

  PP-VBM - VARIG (BRAZIL)

3 October 1948

Purchased.

18 January 1950

Registered.

12 December 1961

Damaged beyond repair after ditching off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (0/2 fatalities).

The Commando was conducting a local training flight from Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Brazil with only two pilots onboard. During an engine failure exercise over the ocean, the left engine was stopped and feathered, but instead went into reverse. Power was reduced on the other engine to ensure directional control, however altitude could not be maintained. When it became obvious that the aircraft would not be able to return to Santos Dumont, the pilot elected to ditch 50 meters off Itaipu Beach. Both crewmembers were rescued, but the aircraft was destroyed.