Commando 43-47374
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando
USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47374
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 444
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK422
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
June 1945 to January 1946
43-47374 - USAAF (USA)
14 June 1945
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Saint Louis, MO.
Assigned to the 1st Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) based at Rosecrans Field, MO.
Remained within the Continental USA.
January 1946 to 1947
43-47374 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)
28 January 1946
Transferred to RFC and stored at Walnut Ridge AAF, AR.
March 1948 to August 1948
PP-XBT - COMPANHIA ITAU DE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
9 March 1948
Purchased and assigned a temporary import registration.
Ferried to Brazil.
August 1948 to October 1955
PP-ITA - COMPANHIA ITAU DE TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
3 August 1948
Assigned a permanent registration.
October 1955 to August 1956
PP-ITA - TAN (TRANSPORTES AEREOS NACIONAL) (BRAZIL)
October 1955
Transferred as Itau was taken over by TAN.
August 1956 to August 1961
PP-ITA - REAL TRANSPORTES AEREOS (BRAZIL)
August 1956
Transferred as TAN was taken over by REAL.
Probably continued operating in TAN colors.
August 1961 to March 1968
PP-ITA - VARIG (BRAZIL)
August 1961
Transferred as REAL was taken over by Varig.
March 1968 to 1975
HK-1322 - ARCA COLOMBIA (COLOMBIA)
March 1968
Purchased.
Left & below: three shots of HK-1322 in ARCA livery, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: Christian Volpati / EXZX Flickr / Airlines-Airliners.com
1975 to March 1984
HK-1322 - AEROSUCRE (COLOMBIA)
1975
Purchased. [also noted by some sources as later registered HK-1322P]
Circa 1982
Converted to Super 46C.
13 March 1984
Damaged beyond repair in Barranquilla, Colombia in a landing accident (4/6 fatalities).
The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Barranquilla and Bogota, Colombia with two passengers and four ex-Colombian Air Force pilots onboard. After airborne, flight control problems forced the crew to return to Barranquilla. The aircraft touched down, rolled 100 meters and lifted off again. It reached a height of 20 meters, entered a stall and crashed onto the runway. The aircraft was destroyed and only one passenger and one pilot survived the crash with serious injuries.
No flight plan had been filed. The flight was considered suspicious because several firearms were found in the wreckage along with 50 plastic drums that are known to be used in the production of narcotics.
Right: a very poor shot, which nonetheless gives an idea of the extent of the damage incurred on 13 March 1984.
Photo credit: unknown
Below, left: HK-1322 now with Aerosucre in April 1980.
Photo credit: Reinhard Zinabold / Flickr
Below, right: HK-1322 in a second, very seventiesish, Aerosucre livery in March 1981.
Photo credit: Werner Fischdick / ASN
Bottom, left: the same livery seen on a postcard edited in 1984 - but the shot pre-dates that.
Photo credit: unknown
Bottom, right: HK-1322's final colors on 17 November 1983 in Miami, FL. Note it is now a Super 46C!
Photo credit: Mark Piacentini / Flickr
Last edited: 31/08/2023