Commando 44-77552

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77552

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32948

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1484

FATE: Written off

  December 1944 to September 1947

  44-77552 - USAAF (USA)

December 1944

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

  September 1947 to September 1967

  44-77552 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2343^rd Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Portland, OR.

Modified to TC-46D.

27 August 1950

Received minor damage at McClellan AFB, CA in a taxi accident.

Pilot: Lawrence R. Toole

Unknown date

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

Modified back to C-46D.

5 October 1952

Received minor damage at Chanute AFB, IL in a taxi accident.

Pilot: William H. Burgess

While taxiing at Chanute AFB, IL, the Commando hit parked sistership 44-77563 of the same squadron. The former received no or minor damage, while the latter received minor damage.

Unknown date

Assigned to the 2347^th Air Force Reserve Training Center based at Long Beach AFB, CA.

3 January 1958

Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

27 October 1961

Retrieved from storage and sent to the Middletown Air Materiel Area at Harrisburg-Olmsted AFB, PA for overhaul.

Returned to service with the 4400^th Combat Crew Training Squadron based at Eglin AFB, FL.

1 June 1963

Transferred to the 1^st Air Commando Wing, 605^th Air Commando Squadron based at Howard AFB, Panama Canal Zone.

1 September 1967

Damaged beyond repair near Howard AFB, Panama Canal Zone in a takeoff accident (9/9 fatalities).

Shortly after takeoff from Howard AFB, the Commando stalled and crashed, killing all nine occupants.