Commando 43-47298
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47298
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 369
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK346
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
April 1945
43-47298 - USAAF (USA)
20 April 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
April 1945 to 1947
43-47298 - ROCAF (REPUBLIC OF CHINA AIR FORCE) (CHINA)
29 April 1945
Departed the USA for China via Karachi, Sindh, India.
Transferred as part of Lend-Lease agreement.
1947 to December 1949
XT-??? - CNAC (CHINA NATIONAL AVIATION CORPORATION) (CHINA)
1947
Transferred to CNAC.
May 1949
Ferried to Hong Kong after the Nationalist defeat in mainland China, and impounded by British Authorities under threat from the Communist Chinese government.
13 November 1949
Registration certificate suspended by the Nationalist government.
December 1949
XT-??? - CLAIRE L. CHENNAULT & WHITING WILLAUER (USA)
12 December 1949
Purchased by Claire Chennault & Whiting Willauer, managers of CAT – while still grounded at Hong Kong Kai Tak. This was part of an attempt supported by the US State Department to regain ownership of several CNAC & CATC aircraft.
December 1949 to January 1956
N8365C - CAT (CIVIL AIR TRANSPORT) (TAIWAN)
19 December 1949
Transferred to CAT.
January 1956
N2053A - L. B. SMITH AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)
27 January 1956
Reregistered.
Unknown date
Converted to CW-20T.
30 January 1956
Registration cancelled, exported to Canada.
January 1956 to November 1962
CF-IQQ - WORLD WIDE AIRWAYS (CANADA)
Late January 1956
Purchased.
Used on DEW Line supply missions in the Far North.
7 November 1962
Registration cancelled.
Right: CF-IQQ pictured somewhere along the DEW Line in the late 1950's.
Photo credit: Air Transport in Canada / Robert Finlayson
November 1962 to November 1964
N4631S - BOREAS CORPORATION (USA)
November 1962
Purchased by Bertram D. Agardy, CEO of the Boreas Corporation.
1963 or 1964
Transferred to the Boreas Corporation.
November 1964 to April 1969
N295BC - BELLOMY-LAWSON AVIATION (USA)
8 November 1964
Purchased by Lawson Aviation.
1967
Transferred to Bellomy-Lawson Aviation.
April 1969 to October 1969
N1295B - FRANCIS "GUS" A. CONNER (USA)
11 April 1969
Probably leased from Bellomy-Lawson Aviation.
October 1969 to April 1976
PJ-CLE - CLTM (CARAIBISCHE LUCHT TRANSPORT MIJ) (NETHERLANDS ANTILLES)
15 October 1969
Probably leased from Bellomy-Lawson Aviation, of which CLTM was a subsidiary.
Left: PJ-CLE in its initial CLTM livery, unknown location, probably in the early 1970's.
Photo credit: Ron Mak / Ron Mak's Propliners
Line 1, left: another shot of the same.
Photo credit: Airliners Gallery / Bruce Drum
Line 1, right: a nice artwork of PJ-CLE's second livery.
Photo credit: RZJets
Line 2, left: probaly in Miami, FL with the new livery, unknown date.
Photo credit: Airliners Gallery / Bruce Drum
Line 2, right: PJ-CLE once again in Miami, FL undergoing maintenance on 19 June 1974.
Photo credit: Airliners.net / The Binman
Line 3, left: PJ-CLE in Miami, FL on 16 June 1975.
Photo credit: Flickr / Propfreak
Line 3, right: PJ-CLE performing a crosswind landing in Miami, FL in January 1976.
Photo credit: AirHistory.net / Bob Garrard
April 1976 to July 1976
N65307 - BELLOMY-LAWSON AVIATION (USA)
14 April 1976
Returned to Bellomy-Lawson Aviation.
14 July 1976
Registration cancelled, exported to Colombia.
1980 to 1986
HK-1856 - AERONORTE (AEROVIAS DEL NORTE) (COLOMBIA)
1980
Purchased.
1986
Seized by the Colombian Government. [reason unknown]
Stored in Bogota El Dorado International, Colombia.
Right: HK-1856 in Bogota on 15 January 1988 with Aeronorte titles covered.
Photo credit: AirHistory.net / LRS747
1986 to December 1993
HK-1856 - LAS (LINEAS AEREAS SURAMERICANAS) (COLOMBIA)
1986
Transferred as Aeronorte changed its name to Lineas Aereas Suramericanas to reflect the opening of international routes.
Left: HK-1856 undergoing a major overhaul in Bogota in August 1991 before being returned to service.
Photo credit: ASN / Karl Kramer & Werner Fischdick
Below: HK-1856 receiving routine maintenance in early November 1992.
Photo credit: Flickr & AB / Peter Garwood & Greg Connell
Bottom: two other shots of the same aircraft at its Bogota base.
Photo credit: Ron Mak
December 1993 to January 1994
HK-1856 - TRANSOCEANICA DE AVIACION (COLOMBIA)
December 1993
Purchased.
30 January 1994
Damaged beyond repair in Puerto Inirida, Colombia in a landing accident (no fatalities).
The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Bogota and Puerto Inirida, Colombia with three crewmembers onboard. Unbeknownst to the crew, recent rains had dramatically softened the runway surface at Puerto Inirida. Upon landing, the main landing gear sank int the mud, and collapsed. [it is not known whether the aircraft nosed over]
Following this loss, Transoceanica purchased sistership HK-3205 from LAS in order to replace it.
Last edited: 12/08/2023