Commando 43-47196

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47196

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 267

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK244

FATE: Written off

  February 1945 to July 1947

  43-47196 - USAAF (USA)

14 February 1945

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

7 March 1945

Departed the USA for the Panama Canal Zone.

Assigned to the 20^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone.

  July 1947 to late 1947

  43-47196 - FLC (FOREIGN LIQUIDATION COMMISSION) (USA)

10 July 1947

Transferred to FLC and probably stored in Panama.

  Late 1947 to unknown date

  RX-111 - PRIVATE (PANAMA)

Late 1947

Purchased from FLC by Harold A. Speer.

  Unknown date to May 1948

  N????? - THE BABB CO. (USA)

Unknown date

Purchased.

  May 1948 to January 1949

  OB-OAD-233 - ANDES (AEROVIAS NACIONALES DEL SUR) (PERU)

8 May 1948

Leased from the Babb Company.

14 May 1948

Registered.

17 January 1949

Damaged beyond repair after ditching in Rio Javari, Peru (0/15 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a flight between Lima and Iquitos, Peru with 5 crew and 10 passengers onboard. While enroute, the pilots got lost in bad weather. As fuel was getting low, they elected to ditch in the Rio Yabari river, at the border between Peru and Brazil, about 200 km south of Iquitos. The aircraft slid on water before coming to rest, and all 15 occupants were able to evacuate before it sank in water 20 meters deep.