Commando 44-77546

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77546

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 32942

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1478

FATE: Written off

  December 1944 to September 1947

  44-77546 - USAAF (USA)

December 1944

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

Unknown date

Assigned to 813^th AAF Base Unit, Sedalia AAF, MO with I Troop Carrier Command.

15 January 1945

Received major damage at Sedalia AAF, MO in a ground accident while parked.

The Commando was hit by Douglas C-47 Skytrain 43-15280 of the same unit, piloted by Harold C. Samuels. The C-47 apparently suffered a mechanical failure which caused it to hit the Commando. Both aircraft received major damage.

  September 1947 to unknown date

  44-77546 - USAF (USA)

18 September 1947

Transferred.

Unknown date

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

10 May 1958

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

2 February 1959

Sent for reclamation at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ.

  Unknown date to March 1961

  N9894Z - SAT (SOUTHERN AIR TRANSPORT) (USA)

Unknown date

Purchased.

  March 1961 to April 1961

  N9894Z - AIR AMERICA (USA)

31 March 1961

Purchased.

  April 1961 to Summer 1961

  AN-AMG - LOS HERMANOS SEBASTIAN Y GOMEZ (USA)

4 April 1961

Purchased as a replacement aircraft for HP-314, lost in March 1961. [Jaime Camargo, mentionned by many sources, was the contact person]

Registration either not taken up or only used for a few weeks.

Based at Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua and used by the Cuban Fuerza Aerea de Liberacion.

17-19 April 1961

Took part in the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba.

Summer 1961

Damaged beyond repair in a accident during a normal flight out of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua (no fatalities).

[Did not become XV-NIG, which was actually Commando 44-77621]