Commando 43-47122
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47122
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 193
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK170
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
January 1945 to April 1946
43-47122 - USAAF (USA)
12 January 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Louisville, KY.
11 February 1945
Assigned to ATC India-China Division.
Unknown date
Assigned to Karachi, Sindh, India.
April 1946 to March 1956 March 1956 to July 1956
N7773B - AMERICAN AIRMOTIVE CORPORATION (USA)
March 1956
Purchased.
Refurbished and ferried to the USA.
July 1956 to October 1956
N7773B - L & J TRADING COMPANY (USA)
July 1956
Purchased.
22 October 1956
Registered.
October 1956 to November 1956
YV-C-ERD - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)
October 1956
Leased from L & J Trading. [possibly not taken up]
November 1956 to January 1957
N7773B - L & J TRADING COMPANY (USA)
November 1956
End of lease contract with RANSA.
2 November 1956
Registration cancelled, exported to Argentina.
January 1957 to February 1957
LV-PCU - TSA (TRANSCONTINENTAL SA) (ARGENTINA)
January 1957
Purchased and assigned a temporary import registration ("pasavante").
Right: LV-PCU, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: unknown / Facebook
February 1957 to June 1961
LV-FTO - TSA (TRANSCONTINENTAL SA) (ARGENTINA)
4 February 1957
Reregistered.
10 February 1958
Incident at Buenos Aires Aeroparque, Argentina.
8 February 1959
Incident at Buenos Aires Aeroparque, Argentina (1 fatality).
10 October 1959
Received major damage in Cordoba, Argentina in a landing accident.
The Commando's left main landing gear collapsed during landing in Cordoba, Argentina.
Repaired.
February 1961
Certificate of airworthiness extended to 30 September 1961 following a 6,000-hours inspection.
28 May 1961
Left engine change, and last recorded maintenance inspection.
30 June 1961
Damaged beyond repair on approach to Buenos Aires Aeroparque, Argentina in a CFIT (24/35 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a scheduled passenger flight between Cordoba and Buenos Aires Aeroparque, Argentina with 4 crewmembers and 31 passengers onboard. It took off in the early evening from Cordoba. Approaching Buenos Aires at night, the crew was cleared to perform an instrument approach for runway 12, as the weather was 4 km visibility in rain and overcast ceiling at 300 ft. However, 1300 meters before the runway threshold, the aircraft struck an 8-meter high railroad signal which tore off the right wingtip. The aircraft veered 45° to the right, hit trees and telephone lines, and crashed in a public area where it caught fire due to fuel spillage. The two pilots and 22 passengers died.
The 
final accident report concluded that, contrary to ATC instructions, the crew was in fact conducting a visual approach in low IMC conditions which led to controlled flight into terrain.
Total airframe time 8,926 hours.
Left: LV-FTO apparently having its right outer wing changed.
Photo credit: Edgardo Luzzi / ATVLA
Last edited: 01/04/2021