Commando 44-77304

Aircraft Identification

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77304

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32700

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1236

FATE: Written off

Operational Record

October 1944 to April 1946

44-77304 - USAAF (USA)

23 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. Hayden G. Wilcox Jr., Pilot
2^nd Lt. Thomas D. Chewning, Copilot
SSgt. William B. Pilker, Crew Chief
Sgt. Robert Fallon Jr., Radio Operator

4 December 1944

Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.

Mid-December 1944

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

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 early 1955

44-77304 - INDIAN GOVERNMENT (INDIA)

10 April 1946

Purchased.

Early 1955 to June 1955

44-77304 - WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMPORT EXPORT COMPANY (USA)

Early 1955

Probably purchased from the Indian Government, ferried to the USA and refurbished.

June 1955 to January 1956

YV-C-ARX (I) - RANSA (RUTAS AEREAS NACIONALES SA) (VENEZUELA)

24 June 1955

Purchased.

Officially registered YV-C-ARX, but apparently bore registration YV-C-ARZ on the fuselage.

[not to be mistaken with YV-C-ARZ, Commando 44-78447, which bore the same registration later]

27 August 1955

Departed India on a ferry flight to Miami, FL.

3 September 1955

Ferried through Prestwick, UK.

11 September 1955

Arrived in Miami, FL.

Right: YV-C-ARX and sistership YV-C-ARZ in Prestwick on 3 September 1955 during their ferry flight from India. It appears both aircraft registrations were mixed up.
Photo credit: Ken Tilley / Air Britain

January 1956

YV-C-ARZ (I) - FLORIDA AIRCRAFT LEASING CORPORATION (USA)

January 1956

Probably purchased.

January 1956 to November 1963

N5132B - RIDDLE AIRLINES (USA)

4 January 1956

Purchased or leased from the Florida Aircraft Leasing Corporation. [possibly a 3-year lease-purchase agreement like several other Commandos sold to Riddle by Florida at that time]

Left: N5132B with Riddle, date & location unknown.
Photo credit: Charles Darby / NA3T

November 1963 to July 1964

N5132B - AIRLIFT INTERNATIONAL (USA)

29 November 1963

Transferred as Riddle changed its name to Airlift.

July 1964 to 1966

N5132B - ZANTOP AIR TRANSPORT (USA)

16 July 1964

Leased from Airlift.

13 September 1965

Received major damage near Dover AFB, DE in a forced landing (0/3 fatalities).

The Commando departed Dover AFB, DE on a military contract cargo flight. During climbout, a false engine fire warning occured and the engine was feathered. The crew turned back to Dover AFB, where the conditions were less than 3 miles visibility, 500ft ceiling, fog, drizzle and rain showers. On approach, the landing gear failed to lock down due to a hydraulic leak in a windshield wiper. The pilot elected to make a belly landing short of the runway. The aircraft was substantially damaged but all three crewmembers escaped with minor injuries.

NTSB Report