Commando 43-47370

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47370

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 440

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK418

FATE: Written off

  June 1945 to October 1945

  43-47370 - USAAF (USA)

11 June 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.

Remained within the Continental USA.

  October 1945 to April 1948

  43-47370 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

26 October 1945

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

  April 1948 to May 1948

  N????? - CHARLES E. MATHEWS & CO. (USA)

April 1948

Purchased from RFC.

  May 1948 to January 1950

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

3 May 1948

Purchased and assigned a temporary import registration.

5 January 1950

Damaged beyond repair in Itaquaquecetuba, Brazil in a forced landing (0/3 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Sao Paulo Congonhas and a destination in the north of Brazil with three crewmembers onboard. The aircraft took off at 0700 LT. Upon passing Pouso Alegre, some 160 km into the flight, it started suffering from engine problems. The crew decided to turn back to Sao Paulo. However they were not able to reach the airport and had to make a forced landing in a field in Itaquaquecetuba, 35 km to the east. The crew survived, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.