Commando 43-47397

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

  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

  N7768B - PRIVATE (USA)

10 July 1956

Purchased by Eric M. Larson.

  July 1956 to October 1957

  N7768B - AAXICO (USA)

10 July 1956

Purchased by Howard J. Korth, President of AAXICO.

28 December 1956

Registered.

  October 1957 to July 1960

  N7768B - COLONIAL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

11 October 1957

Purchased.

  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.

  July 1962

  N7768B - AAXICO (USA)

1 July 1962

Purchased.

  July 1962 to June 1963

  N7768B - COLONIAL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION (USA)

July 1962

Leased from AAXICO.

  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.

  March 1968 to December 1968

  N7768B - AVIATION ASSOCIATES OF GEORGIA (USA)

15 March 1968

Purchased.

  December 1968 to May 1969

  N7768B - DSW AND GRW INC. (USA)

9 December 1968

Purchased.

  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