Commando 43-47182
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47182
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 253
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK230
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
February 1945 to November 1945
43-47182 - USAAF (USA)
12 February 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Louisville, KY.
Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command based at Baer Field, IN.
Remained within the continental USA.
November 1945 to October 1947
43-47182 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
15 November 1945
Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.
October 1947 to April 1950
N3906B - SLICK AIRWAYS (USA)
31 October 1947
Purchased from RFC or War Assets Administration.
Stored.
7 June 1948
Registered.
18 November 1949
Registration N5213N reserved, apparently by mistake as Slick was unaware the Commando had already been registered.
Mid-1950 to early 1951
CB-48 - FRIGORIFICO COOPERATIVO LOS ANDES (BOLIVIA)
Mid-1950
Leased from Frigorificos Ballivian.
15 November 1950
Damaged near La Paz, Bolivia in a forced landing after takeoff (0/2 fatalities).
Early 1951 to February 1951
CB-48 - FRIGORIFICOS BALLIVIAN (BOLIVIA)
Early 1951
Returned from lease to Frigorifico Cooperativo los Andes.
March 1951 to July 1951
N3906B - DASCOMP AIRCRAFT SUPPLIES (USA)
7 March 1951
Purchased.
12 March 1951
Registered.
July 1951 to September 1969
PP-VCA - VARIG (BRAZIL)
31 July 1951
Purchased, with Don Cardiff acting as agent for Dascomp.
15 December 1951
Registered.
20 February 1958
Damaged in Rio Grande, Brazil after veering into a ditch on landing.
November 1961
Converted to Super 46C.
29 July 1968
Damaged in Maceio, Brazil in a takeoff accident.
The Commando burst a tire during takeoff, veered off the runway and nosed over.
10 September 1969
Registration cancelled, exported to the USA.
Right: PP-VCA, already a Super 46C, at Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Brazil in 1962.
Photo credit: The Samba Collection / AirTeamImages
September 1969 to July 1970
N8875 (I) - FLIGHT LEASE INC. (USA)
September 1969
Purchased.
3 June 1970
Registered.
July 1970 to May 1971
YV-C-SBQ - ACASA (AEROVIAS CA SERVICIOS APURE) (VENEZUELA)
28 July 1970
Purchased but not taken up.
9 July 1971
Registration cancelled, sale incomplete.
May 1971 to January 1972
N8875 (I) - CAROLINA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)
10 May 1971
Repossessed.
14 July 1971
Registration restored.
January 1972 to April 1973
N8875 (I) - CARGO AIR INC. (USA)
28 January 1972
Purchased.
12 April 1972
Registered.
27 April 1973
Registration cancelled, exported to Haiti.
April 1973 to October 1978
HH-221 - AIR HAITI (HAITI)
28 January 1973
Purchased and christened "La Citadella".
Left: HH-221 landing in Miami, FL on 20 April 1974.
Photo credit: R. A. Scholefield / Airliners.net
October 1978 to December 1980
HH-AHB - AIR HAITI (HAITI)
5 October 1978
Reregistered.
Right: HH-AHB freshly reregistered, seen in Miami, FL on 30 October 1978.
Photo credit: Danny Grew / AirHistory.net
Below, left: HH-AHB visiting Miami, FL in September 1979.
Photo credit: Dave Richarson / Air Britain
Below, right: the same again in Miami, FL, 1979.
Photo credit: Mick Bajcar / Warbird Registry
Bottom, left: HH-AHB in the cargo area of Miami, FL on 20 April 1980.
Photo credit: Don Gilham / AirHistory.net
Bottom, right: HH-AHB in Miami, FL in July 1980.
Photo credit: Carl Ford / AirTeamImages
December 1980 to May 1991
CP-1617 - ELDORADO LTDA. (BOLIVIA)
December 1980
Purchased and christened "El Mestizo".
2 January 1981
Delivered from Miami, FL.
14 May 1991
Damaged beyond repair in Beni, Bolivia in a belly landing (0/5 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a charter passenger flight between Estancia la Esperanza, Bolivia and La Paz El Alto, Bolivia with 2 pilots and 3 passengers onboard. While climbing through 5,000ft, the right engine failed. The aircraft could not maintain altitude and the crew elected to divert to nearby Beni. They performed a belly landing there, and slid on the runway before coming to a stop. All five occupants were unhurt but the aircraft was written off.
Right & below: this fantastic photo shoot of CP-1617 taken at La Paz in October 1988 shows the operating conditions faced by Commando crews in Bolivia.
Photo credit: Manfred Poznanski / www.pozefilm.de
Last edited: 11/06/2021