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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Curtiss C-46 Commando
    Latest Model:C-46A-45-CU Commando
    Last Military Serial:42-96661 USAAF
    Construction Number:30323
    Last Civil Registration:N8040Y
    Compressed ID:Curtiss C-46A-45-CU sn 42-96661 USA...
    Latest Owner or Location:Aircraft Line Maintenance

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a C-46A-45-CU by Curtiss at Buffalo, NY, USA.

    Circa 1942

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-96661.

    To unknown owner with c/r N3943A.

    To unknown owner with c/r LV-PBH.

    To unknown owner with c/r LV-FSA.

    Circa April 1978


    Photographer: Larry Johnson Collection

    30 July 1979

    To Aircraft Line Maintenance, Miami, FL with new c/r N8040Y.

    By 4 August 1979

    To Aircraft Line Maintenance keeping c/r N8040Y.

    4 August 1979

    Crashed.
    Summary: The airframe was destroyed. There were five fatalities. The ferrying/positioning flight departed Mendoza-El Plumerillo Airport, MD (MDZ/SAME), Argentina. The accident occurred at Cerro Tupungato (Chile) while en route. Narrative: A Curtiss C-46A Commando transport plane was destroyed in an accident in the Andes while on a ferry flight. All five on board were killed. The aircraft had been bought by a Miami company named Aircraft Line Maintenance from the Argentine airline Austral. The aircraft was re-registered N8040Y from LV-FSA and departed Buenos Aires, Argentina on a ferry flight to Miami via Chile and Panama...
    For a complete description of the event read the Aviation Safety Network Report.

    24 October 2013

    Civil registration, N8040Y, cancelled.


    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.

    Credits
    Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...

    Internet Sources
    Aviation Safety Network
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America

    Individual Contributors
    Larry Johnson

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