List of accidents and incidents involving the Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando

The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C. Known to the men who flew them as "The Whale," or the "Curtiss Calamity," ^[1] the C-46 served a similar role as its counterpart, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, but was not as extensively produced.

After World War II, a few surplus C-46 aircraft were briefly used in their original role as passenger airliners, but the glut of surplus C-47s dominated the marketplace with the C-46 soon relegated to primarily cargo duty. The type continued in U.S. Air Force service in a secondary role until 1968. However, the C-46 continues in operation as a rugged cargo transport for Arctic and remote locations with its service life extended into the 21st century.^[2]

Accidents and incidents

Like every other major type in long service and operation, accidents and incidents have been recorded that have substantially reduced the numbers flying. The following list is typical of such a record of operational use.

• 20 September 1944: A nighttime training mission both leaving and returning to Syracuse Army Air Base went missing. It was eventually discovered to have flown directly into the NE face of Blue Ridge Mountain near Speculator, NY. All three servicemen perished.^[3]
• 12 October 1945: While trying to navigate their approach to Beijing Nanyuan Airport, a USAAF C-46 (carrying four US crew and 55 Chinese soldiers) struck a radio antenna and crashed, killing all on board.
• 10 December 1946: A US Marine Corps R5C en route from San Diego to Seattle crashed into South Tahoma Glacier on the side of Mount Rainier in Washington, killing all 32 US Marines on board. The pilot was flying entirely by instruments in severe weather and it was determined that wind had moved the aircraft off course. At the time, this accident was the worst in U.S. aviation history.^[4]
• 2 August 1949: a Varig Curtiss C-46AD-10-CU Commando registration PP-VBI operating a flight from São Paulo-Congonhas Airport to Porto Alegre made an emergency landing on rough terrain near the location of Jaquirana, approximately 20 minutes before landing in Porto Alegre, following fire on the cargo hold. Of the 36 passengers and crew aboard, five died.^[5]
• 29 July 1951: a Lóide Aéreo Nacional Curtiss C-46A-10-CU registration CB-39, flying from Cochabamba to Rio de Janeiro, probably operating a delivery ferry flight still bearing the Bolivian registration number, crashed on takeoff. All seven occupants died.^[6]
• 24 May 1952: a Lóide Aéreo Nacional Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando registration PP-LDE during take-off from Manaus-Ponta Pelada stalled when trying to return to the airport following an engine failure. It crashed into the Rio Negro. The 6 occupants died.^[7]
• 20 August 1953: an Itaú Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando registration PP-ITD crashed and caught fire during an emergency landing at Corumbá. Three crew members died and one survived.^[8][9]
• 4 June 1954: a Varig Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando registration PP-VBZ operating a cargo flight between São Paulo-Congonhas Airport and Porto Alegre crashed during take-off from São Paulo. All crew of 3 died.^[10]
• 3 April 1955: an Itaú Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando registration PP-ITG struck a hill two miles short of the runway while on an instrument approach to Vitória. The crew of three died.^[11]
• 7 April 1957: a Varig Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando registration PP-VCF operating a flight from Bagé to Porto Alegre crashed during takeoff from Bagé, following a fire developed in the left main gear wheel well and consequent technical difficulties. All 40 passengers and crew died.^[12]
• 31 May 1958: a cargo Paraense Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando registration PP-BTB, crashed shortly after takeoff of unknown causes, from Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont. The crew of four died.^[13]
• 5 September 1958: a Lóide Aéreo Nacional, still bearing the name of TABA – Transportes Aéreos Bandeirantes Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando registration PP-LDX crashed during approach to Campina Grande. Two crew members and 11 passengers died.^[14]
• 16 January 1959: Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 205 crashed on approach to Mar del Plata killing 51 occupants: five crew members and 46 passengers. The cause of the crash was determined as pilot error.
• 6 May 1959: a Paraense Curtiss C-46/Super C-46 Commando registration PP-BTA crashed shortly after takeoff from Belém-Val de Cães. Three crew members died.^[15][16]
• 1 June 1959: An Aerolíneas Nacionales C-46 was shot down by the Nicaraguan Air Force over Nicaragua, resulting in the death of all 50 people on board.
• 22 September 1960: a Paraense Curtiss C-46/Super C-46 Commando registration PP-BTF crashed shortly after takeoff from Belém-Val de Cães. Seven occupants died.^[16][17]
• 29 October 1960: A chartered C-46 carrying the Cal Poly football team crashed on takeoff in Toledo, Ohio, resulting in the death of 22 of the 48 people on board.
• 7 December 1960: a Real Curtiss C-46A-60-CK Commando registration PP-AKF belonging to Transportes Aéreos Nacional, en route from Cuiabá to Manaus-Ponta Pelada crashed on Cachimbo mountains. The no.2 engine failed during the flight. Altitude was lost, the pilot jettisoned some of the cargo but the aircraft continued to lose height. It crashed and caught fire and 15 passengers and crew died.^[18]
• 12 August 1965: a Paraense Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando, registration PP-BTH, en route to Cuiabá caught fire and crashed in Buracão, close to Barra do Bugre, in the State of Mato Grosso. All 13 passengers and crew died.^[19]
• 11 July 1966: C-46D, HK-527 operated by Aeropesca Colombia disappeared near Cerro el Planchon, Chile on a cargo flight between El Dorado International Airport, Bogota, Colombia and Buenos Aires, Argentina with the loss of a crew of eight.^[20]
• 16 April 1969: Shortly after takeoff, a CIA-chartered C-46 crashed into the Congo River, killing all 45 people on board. The pilot had reported a landing gear malfunction, and was trying to return to N'djili Airport.
• On 24 September 24 (or possibly 16 September), 1976, HK-1282, a Curtiss C-46D operated by Aerosucre Colombia disappeared on a cargo flight en route to Queen Beatrix International Airport, Oranjestad, Aruba with the loss of a crew of two.^[21]

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links