Commando 43-47411

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47411

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 2937

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK459

FATE: Written off

  July 1945 to November 1945

  43-47411 - USAAF (USA)

18 July 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

  43-47411 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

6 November 1945

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

  November 1945 to September 1947

  N59495 - SLICK AIRWAYS (USA)

29 November 1945

Purchased.

17 September 1947

Damaged beyond repair at Burbank, CA in a landing accident (no fatalities). CAB Report

Crew:
Capt. Gilbert R. Clark
F/O John W. Neitert

The Commando was conducting a cargo flight between Denver, CO and Burbank, CA with two pilots and 9,615 lbs of cargo on board. Enroute winds at the cruising altitude of 17,000ft happened to be unusually strong that day, and no forecast has been available to the crew before departure. Upon passing Las Vegas, NV, fuel was low, but still deemed sufficient to continue on to destination. Shortly after overflying Palmdale, CA, the left engine stopped but power was restored by switching fuel tank. In the Los Angeles area, low ceilings prevailed and the aircraft had to hold for 10 minutes before being cleared for an instrument letdown into Burbank, CA. By that time, only intermittent bursts of power could be obtained from the left engine. A few minutes later, the right engine stopped and its prop was feathered. As the Captain spotted the airport through a hole in the clouds, he made a sharp turn and glided onto one of the taxiways. Despite applying maximum braking, he could not stop within the airport boundary. The Commando broke through the southern airport fence and came to rest only after skidding across a highway and a railroad line. Both pilots escaped uninjured but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The probable cause of the accident was determined to be fuel exhaustion due to the inability of the pilots to properly monitor their fuel consumption while en route.

Total airframe time 3,811 hours.

Right: Bulky cargo being loaded onto NC59495.
Photo credit: BAAA.ACRO