Commando 44-77562

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77562

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32958

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1494

FATE: Written off

  December 1944 to September 1947

  44-77562 - USAAF (USA)

December 1944

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

Unknown date

Departed the USA for Europe.

Assigned to the 9^th Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing, 313^th Troop Carrier Group, 49^th Troop Carrier Squadron based at Grevillers-Achiet (B-54), France.

24 March 1945

Damaged over Germany during Operation Varsity.

  September 1947 to August 1955

  44-77562 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 514^th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 335^th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium based at Mitchel AFB, NY.

24 December 1952

Received minor damage at Mitchel AFB, NY in a taxi accident while parked.

The Commando was parked at Mitchel AFB, NY when it was hit by sistership 44-77963 taxied nearby by Charles B. Sercombe.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2472^nd Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Olathe AFS, MO. [or possibly Grandview AFB, MO]

26 August 1955

Damaged beyond repair at Joplin Municipal, MO in a landing accident (0/19 fatalities).

Pilot: Claude B. Simmons

The Commando was operating a flight from Grandview AFB, MO to Joplin Municipal, MO with 19 occupants. Two versions of this landing accident exist:

• A tire blew up on landing, the landing gear leg subsequently gave in; or
• The aircraft touched down short of the runway, the landing gear was ripped off in a ditch.

In any case, the airplane skidded 150-200 meters along the runway before coming to a stop. A fire erupted, whic was quickly put out by firefighters, while all on board evacuated safely.