Commando 43-47409

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47409

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 2935

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK457

FATE: Written off

  July 1945 to October 1945

  43-47409 - USAAF (USA)

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17 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.

  October 1945 to November 1945

  43-47409 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

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30 October 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Ontario AAF, CA.

  November 1945 to August 1947

  N59488 - SLICK AIRWAYS (USA)

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29 November 1945

Purchased.

21 August 1947

Damaged beyond repair after flying into terrain near Hanksville, UT (3/3 fatalities). CAB Report

Crew:
Capt. Marvin G. Vaughan
F/O Herbert V. Preeg

The Commando was conducting a cargo flight between Ypislanti, MI and Burbank, CA with an intermediate stop in Denver, CO. As the aircraft was proceeding VFR at 10,000ft over Utah below a cloud layer, it entered a U-shaped canyon, with the open-end of the U facing eastward. The aircraft hit terrain that was steeply rising into the clouds, just 100ft below the ridge top. The two crewmembers and the observer were killed as the Commando disintegrated on impact. The accident was deemed to be a CFIT caused by continued VFR flight into IMC.