Commando 43-47397
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47397
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 467
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK445
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
July 1945
43-47397 - USAAF (USA)
3 July 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
July 1945 to July 1956
50724 - US MARINE CORPS (USA)
3 July 1945
Transferred as R5C-1 and delivered to NAS San Diego, CA.
5 July 1945
Assigned to Homeland Defense Network (HDN), Marine Fleet Air, West Coast based at NAS San Diego, CA.
9 July 1945
Assigned to HDN, MAG-35 based at MCAS El Centro, CA.
10 July 1945
Assigned to VMR-352 based at MCAS Ewa, HI.
December 1945
Assigned to VMR-153 based in Tsingtao, Shandong, China.
October 1947
Assigned to Fleet Air Service Squadron 11 (Fasron-11) based at NAS Pearl Harbor, HI.
May 1948
Assigned to NAS San Diego, CA.
Unknown date
Struck off charge.
July 1956 to October 1957
N7768B - AAXICO (USA)
10 July 1956
Purchased by Howard J. Korth, President of AAXICO.
28 December 1956
Registered.
July 1960 to late 1961
N7768B - CAPITOL AIR (USA)
July 1960
Leased from Colonial Aircraft Corporation.
Late 1961 to July 1962
N7768B - COLONIAL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)
Late 1961
Returned from lease to Capitol Air.
June 1963 to August 1964
N7768B - AAXICO (USA)
June 1963
Returned from lease to Colonial Aircraft Corporation.
August 1964 to September 1966
N7768B - ZANTOP AIR TRANSPORT (USA)
12 August 1964
Leased from AAXICO.
20 September 1966
Purchased from AAXICO.
September 1966 to March 1968
N7768B - UNIVERSAL AIRLINES (USA)
21 September 1966
Transferred as Zantop Air Transport became Universal Airlines.
May 1969 to June 1971
N7768B - TRB AIRLINES (USA)
29 May 1969
Purchased.
Right: N7768B in the colors of short-lived TRB Airlines, Coleman Young Municipal Airport, Detroit, MI, June 1971.
Photo credit: Bob Garrard / AirHistory.net
June 1971 to March 1972
N7768B - PULLMAN BANK AND TRUST CO. (USA)
7 June 1971
Repossessed.
July 1971
Stored in Detroit, MI.
March 1972 to September 1979
N7768B - RICH INTERNATIONAL AIRWAYS (USA)
28 March 1972
Purchased in non-operational condition.
July 1972
Ferried to Miami, FL and restored to flying condition.
12 September 1979
Ditched off South Caicos, Turks & Caicos Islands after an engine failure (0/3 fatalities). 
NTSB Report
The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Miami, FL and Saint Thomas, USVI with two pilots and a passenger onboard. In cruise, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and the crew attempted to divert to South Caicos International Airport, Turks and Caicos Islands. The airplane ditched a mile short of runway 11. All three occupants escaped uninjured.
Left: N7768B on the ramp in Miami, FL in November 1977.
Photo credit: Fernando Mesquita / Airliners.net
Below, left: N7768B on approach to Miami, FL on 2 November 1978.
Photo credit: Danny Grew / AirHistory.net
Below, right: one last shot in Miami on 14 July 1979, only a few months before the crash.
Photo credit: Mick Bajcar / Airliners.net
Bottom: N7768B at rest in the shallow waters of South Caicos, March 1980.
Photo credit: Austin J. Brown / ASN
Last edited: 30/10/2023