Commando 43-47415

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 43-47415

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 2941

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CK463

FATE: Written off

  July 1945 to November 1945

  43-47415 - USAAF (USA)

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21 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

  43-47415 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

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6 November 1945

Transferred to RFC and stored at Ontario AAF, CA. [also quoted as 14 November 1945]

  November 1945 to April 1952

  N59484 - SLICK AIRWAYS (USA)

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29 November 1945

Purchased.

7 February 1946

Registered.

4 April 1952

Registration cancelled, exported to Canada.

  April 1954 to September 1958

  CF-FBJ - DORVAL AIR TRANSPORT (CANADA)

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24 May 1952

Registered.

  September 1958 to June 1960

  CF-FBJ - EASTERN CANADA STEVEDORING (CANADA)

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9 September 1958

Purchased.

  June 1960 to January 1962

  CF-FBJ - WHEELER AIRLINES (CANADA)

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10 June 1960

Purchased.

  January 1962 to June 1966

  CF-FBJ - NORDAIR (CANADA)

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18 January 1962

Purchased by Canadian Aircraft Renters Ltd. and leased out to Nordair.

3 June 1964

Operated for Wheeler Airlines by Nordair.

6 August 1964

Operated for Suidair Ltd. by Nordair.

20 June 1966

Damaged beyond repair near Chute-des-Passes, QC in poor weather conditions (2/2 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Montreal Dorval, QC and Fort Chimo, QC with two pilots on board. It disappeared while flying through poor weather conditions, which included thunderstorms. Three days later, pieces of wreckage were found on the north and northwest shores of an island of Lake Peribonka, which lies just north of Chute-des-Passes, QC. The probable cause of the accident remains undetermined.

 

Below: two shots of CF-FBJ at Montreal Dorval, QC, the left one from 1964.
Photo credit: FlyingHistory.com