Commando 44-78015

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 44-78015

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 33411

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1947

FATE: Written off

  March 1945 to April 1946

  44-78015 - USAAF (USA)

9 March 1945

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

4 April 1945

Departed the USA for Karachi, Sindh, India.

1 April 1946

Excluded. [the story that follows is highly doubtful, and could have been the one of another Commando. Any information is welcome]

  March 1946 to unknown date

  44-78015 - RFC (RECONSTRUCTION FINANCE CORPORATION) (USA)

7 March 1946

Transferred to RFC and stored at an unknown location.

  Unknown dates

  HK-807 - LACE (LINEAS AEREAS COLOMBIANAS EXPRESAS) (COLOMBIA)

Unknown date

Purchased from RFC. [a US broker was probably involved in that sale]

  Unknown date to January 1959

  YV-C-LBI - LEBCA (LINEA EXPRESA BOLIVAR CA) (VENEZUELA)

Unknown date

Purchased.

21 January 1959

Damaged beyond repair near Merida, Venezuala in a CFIT (4/4 fatalities).

The Commando was operating a domestic passenger charter flight between Merida and Maracaibo, Venezuela, with an intermediate stop in Lagunillas, with two pilots and two passengers on board. After departing Merida at 1505 LT, while approaching El Callejon Pass at an altitude of 7,000 feet, the crew realized it would not be possible to clear the pass and decided to modify their route. Over Ejido, the Captain made a 180° turn, turning to a heading of 030°, and continued to the northeast. Few minutes later, while cruising in clouds at an altitude of 13,500 feet, the airplane struck the slopes of La Culata Peak and was destroyed upon impact. The wreckage was found few hours later with all four occupants dead.