Commando 44-77840

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

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-77840

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33236

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1772

FATE: Written off

  February 1945 to January 1947

  44-77840 - USAAF (USA)

6 February 1945

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

20 March 1945

Assigned to the Eighth Air Force.

Departed the USA for Europe.

Early 1945

Probably assigned to the Ninth Air Force, 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing.

4 August 1945

Returned to the USA at Bradley Field, CT.

  January 1947 to unknown date

  44-77840 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

30 January 1947

Transferred to RFC and stored at Bush Field, GA.

  Unknown date to June 1950

  N1657M - HAROLD A. SPEER (USA)

Unknown date

Purchased from RFC.

Refurbished by The Babb Co.. [also noted as owned by the latter and subsequently leased to other operators as listed below]

  June 1950 to March 1952

  OB-OAB-244 - ANDES (AEROVIAS NACIONALES DEL SUR) (PERU)

19 June 1950

Registered. [noted as leased from The Babb Co.]

  March 1952 to July 1954

  CC-CAT-0367 - LYON AIR (CHILE)

31 March 1952

Purchased, supposedly from The Babb Co..

Christened "Virgo".

  July 1954 to 1957

  CC-CAT-0367 - ALA (SOCIEDAD DE TRANSPORTES AEREOS) (CHILE)

27 July 1954

Leased from the Lyon Air liquidated assets trust, after Lyon Air went into liquidation in 1953.

Christened "El Chileno".

4 April 1957

Damaged in an accident.

Below, left: CC-CAT in ALA colors.
Photo credit: Alberto Fernández Donoso / "Ese singular sentido de proteger al vuelo: una historia ilustrada"

Below, right: CC-CAT after its 4 April 1957 accident, unknown date & location.
Photo credit: DGAC   

  1957 to December 1959

  CC-CAT-0367 - CINTA-ALA (CHILE)

1957

Transferred under the same lease contract, as ALA merged with CINTA to form CINTA-ALA.

  December 1959 to November 1978

  CC-CAT - LINEA AEREA CONDOR (CHILE)

12 December 1959

Lease contract from Lyon Air taken over by Companía Salitrera Tarapaca y Antofagasta (COSATAN).

Sub-leased the same day Delano y Sepulveda, which operated the aircraft directly under their own names until they formed Linea Aerea Condor Ltda.

12 May 1964

Damaged ar Cerro Moreno, Chile in a ground collision with another Commando (no fatalities).

Commando CC-CAT of Linea Aerea Condor was parked fully loaded on the ramp. Its parking brake had been released, as wooden chocks had been placed on the main wheels. However, strong winds and the apron slope led the aircraft to jump the chocks. The pilot did not have time to operate the brakes, and CC-CAT collided with CC-COA parked 25 meters away and undergoing maintenance.

20 December 1971

Lease contract transferred to the newly formed Linea Aerea Condor.

Right: CC-CAT at Santiago Los Cerrillos, Chile on 22 April 1972.
Photo credit: R. A. Scholefield / Airliners.net

Below: CC-CAT hugging CC-COA after their ground collision of 12 May 1964.
Photo credit: DGAC / Ivan G. Siminic

  November 1978 to July 1981

  CC-CAT - LATISA (LINEA AEREA DE TRANSPORTE INTERIOR SUD AMERICANA) (CHILE)

23 November 1978

Purchased from the Lyon Air assets.

1979

Based in Coyhaique, Aisen, Chile.

Christened "El Rompe Cumulos".

31 March 1981

Received minor damage at Tortel, Aisen, Chile in a landing accident (no fatalities).

The runway at Tortel was slippery due to persistent drizzle. Upon landing, the Commando skidded and the right main wheel left the runway into the mud. The propeller blades of the right engine were damaged.

12 April 1981

Repaired and ferried out of Tortel, Aisen, Chile.

Crew:
Capt. Oscar Squella Avendano
F/O Arturo Vasquez Vargas
Supernumerary Crew Member Amos Harari

31 July 1981

Damaged beyond repair at Cochrane, Chile in a takeoff accident (5/5 fatalities).

Occupants:
Capt. Oscar Squella Avendano
F/O Arturo Vasquez Vargas
Engineer Jose Ramos Alvarez
Associate Director Miguel Squella Espina
Passenger Gabino Vargas Ruiz

The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Cochrane and Villa O'Higgins, Chile with 6 tons of freight on board. Shortly after airborne, engine n°2 failed, the airplane veered right and crashed into a hill.