Commando 43-47416

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46E-1-CS Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47416

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 2942

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK464

FATE: Written off

  August 1945 to November 1945

  43-47416 - USAAF (USA)

4 August 1945

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

Intended as lend-lease to China, but cancelled.

Remained within the continental USA.

  November 1945

  43-47416 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

8 November 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Ontario AAF, CA.

  November 1945 to February 1951

  N59490 - SLICK AIRWAYS (USA)

29 November 1945

Purchased.

23 February 1951

Damaged beyond repair in Newhall, CA in a belly landing (0/3 fatalities).

The Commando was conducting a cargo flight between Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA with two crewmembers and a load of freight on board. Enroute, the airplane ran into bad weather and encountered severe icing conditions. The pilot requested to return to Burbank, however the Commando, loaded with ice, could not maintain altitude. A belly landing was made next to a highway in Newhall, CA. The airplane slid on the ground, collided with an iron pylon and sheared a power line pole before coming to rest. All occupants successfully evacuated but the aircraft was destroyed.