Commando 44-77544
Aircraft Identification
VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando
USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77544
CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32940
COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1476
FATE: Written off
Operational Record
December 1944 to September 1947
44-77544 - USAAF (USA)
December 1944
Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.
September 1947 to unknown date
44-77544 - USAF (USA)
18 September 1947
Transferred.
Unknown date
Assigned to the 435th Troop Carrier Group, Medium, 78th Troop Carrier Squadron, Medium based in Miami, FL.
11 April 1951
Received minor damage in a bird strike north of Labelle, FL.
Pilot: Willard H. Huffman
Unknown date to December 1957
44-77544 - CALIFORNIA EASTERN AVIATION INC. (USA)
Unknown date
Probably leased from the USAF by California Eastern Aviation.
December 1957 to October 1961
44-77544 - USAF (USA)
20 December 1957
Assigned to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Squadron and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
2 October 1961
Departed Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.
October 1961 to June 1964
N105Z - US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USA)
October 1961
Transferred from USAF and assigned to the US Forest Service, based in San Francisco, CA.
June 1964 to June 1965
N10592 - C-46 PARTS INC. (USA)
10 June 1964
Purchased.
1 July 1964
Registered.
22 June 1965
Registration cancelled, exported to Chile.
June 1965 to February 1967
CC-CDH - ALFA (AEROLINES FLECHA AUSTRAL) (CHILE)
4 June 1965
Purchased.
1966
Assigned to a contract to carry freshly slaughtered meat daily between Mendoza, Argentina and Santiago, Chile.
3 February 1967
Damaged beyond repair at La Yareta Pass, Chile in an accident (0/4 fatalities). [location not identified]
Crew:
Capt. Gustavo Justo Latorre
F/O Hernan Nunez Olivares
Eng. Arturo Nicolas Vazquez
Eng. Juan Guzman
The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Mendoza, Argentina and Santiago, Chile with 5 tons of meat and four crew members on board. The aircraft crashed into terrain at La Yareta Pass, Chile, 3,000 meters elevation, for unknown reasons. All occupants survived with burns, and one of them was seriously injured.
Right: remains of the wreckage still visible on 3 June 2021 at La Yareta Pass.
Photo credit: Guillermo Blugerman / ASN
Below: CC-CDH, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: unknown
Last edited: 03/02/2024