Commando 44-77303

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77303

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32699

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1235

FATE: Written off

  October 1944 to April 1946

  44-77303 - USAAF (USA)

21 October 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

Assigned to the 4^th Combat Cargo Group, 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

18 November 1944

Ferried out of Morrison Field, FL toward Sylhet, Bengal, India.

Crew:
1^st Lt. John R. Stone, Pilot
2^nd Lt. Lawrence A. Muckey Jr., Copilot
Cpl. Francis D. Kovach, Crew Chief
Sgt. Charles E. Martin, Radio Operator

9 December 1944

Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.

Mid-December 1944

Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

13 December 1944

Damaged in Sylhet, Bengal, India in a taxi accident.

Crew: Cpl. Francis D. Kovach, Crew Chief (erroneously designated as pilot by AAIR)

Late December 1944

Moved to Agartala, Tripura, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

January 1945

Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

June 1945

Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

September 1945

Moved to Ledo, Assam, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

October 1945

Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

November 1945

Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 16^th Combat Cargo Squadron.

  April 1946 to 1955

  44-77303 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)

10 April 1946

Purchased.

  1955 to October 1956

  N75296 - UNKNOWN (USA)

1955

Purchased by an unknown entity, ferried from India to the USA and refurbished.

  October 1956 to 1959

  CF-JIL - WORLD WIDE AIRWAYS (CANADA)

October 1956

Purchased by Montreal Air Services, subsidiary of World Wide Airways, and operated by the latter.

  1959 to 1962

  CF-JIL - SAINTE ANNE AIRWAYS (CANADA)

1959

Purchased.

  1962

  N75296 - WEBAIR INC. (USA)

1962

Purchased.

  1962 to December 1964

  N75296 - ZANTOP AIR TRANSPORT (USA)

1962

Leased from Webair.

  December 1964 to October 1965

  N75296 - UNKNOWN

1 December 1964

Leased from Webair.

29 October 1965

Damaged beyond repair in Pouso Alegre in a landing accident (0/2 fatalities).

The Commando was positioning to Pouso Alegre, Brazil. At 1850 LT, on final approach, the aircraft was too low and struck a dirt bank located short of runway threshold. It crash landed, veered off runway and collided with several vehicles before coming to rest in flames. While both pilots were slightly injured, the airplane was destroyed by fire.

Another version of the same accident explains that the Commando hit a truck during a night approach, and crash landed on the runway. The wreckage was later set on fire by the crew to destroy the contraband cargo of whisky, cigarettes, and radios.

NTSB Report

19 July 2018

Registration cancelled.