Commando 43-47311

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CS Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47311

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 382

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK359

SAINT LOUIS PLANT LINE NUMBER: 2925

FATE: Written off

  May 1945 to October 1945

  43-47311 - USAAF (USA)

23 May 1945

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.

Assigned to the 1^st Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) based at Rosecrans Field, MO.

  October 1945 to 1947

  43-47311 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

27 October 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.

  1947 to March 1948

  43-47311 - CHARLES E. MATHEWS & CO. (USA)

1947

Purchased from RFC.

   March 1948 to January 1951

  PP-XBV - COMPANHIA ITAU DE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)

3 March 1948

Purchased.

Assigned an import registration under "pasavente".

   January 1951 to February 1951

  PP-ITF - COMPANHIA ITAU DE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)

24 January 1951

Reregistered.

21 February 1951

Damaged beyond repair at Rio de Janeiro Galeao, Brazil in a landing accident (0/4 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cargo flight into Rio de Janeiro Santos Dumont, Brazil with 4 crewmembers onboard. On approach to runway 02, severe turbulence was encountered and the pilot initiated a go around. In the process, the aircraft touched the ground short of the runway. The right main gear leg sheared off and engine n°2 was damaged. The crew decided to divert to Rio de Janeiro Galeao airport for an emergency landing. Upon touchdown at Galeao, the Commando went out of control and came to rest in flames. All four crew members evacuated safely, but the aircraft was destroyed by fire.