Commando 44-77621

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77621

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33017

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1553

FATE: Written off

  January 1945 to February 1946

  44-77621 - USAAF (USA)

4 January 1945

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

Assigned to I Troop Carrier Command based at Baer Field, IN.

  February 1946 to unknown date

  44-77621 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

19 February 1946

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

  Unknown date to early 1960's

  B-1513 - CHINA AIRLINES (TAIWAN)

Unknown date

Purchased.

  Early 1960's to circa 1964

  XV-NIG - VIAT (VIETNAMESE AIR TRANSPORT) (SOUTH VIETNAM)

Early 1960's

Dry-leased from China Airlines, with B-1513 not cancelled.

Crewed by Air America personnel under contract 61-119.

Based in Saigon, South Vietnam, all silver, no titles.

Right: XV-NIG on a supply drop mission, early 1960's.
Photo credit: Colonel Ngo The Ling

  Circa 1964 to June 1968

  B-1513 - CHINA AIRLINES (TAIWAN)

Circa 1964

Returned from lease to VIAT, and put back into service with China Airlines.

  June 1968 to November 1970

  B-1513 - AIR VIETNAM (SOUTH VIETNAM)

June 1968

Leased from China Airlines.

1 November 1970

Damaged beyond repair near Quy Nhon, South Vietnam in a forced landing.

The Commando was operating a flight between Saigon and Quang Ngai, South Vietnam. It force-landed on a beach near Quy Nhon, South Vietnam due to fuel system problems. The aircraft sank in sand and flooded out at high tide.

[accident erroneously attributed by all sources to "B-1543", which does not correspond to any aircraft at the time]

5 February 1971

Registration cancelled.