Warbird Information Exchange

Greetings:

My name is Henry Arismendi, from Caracas, Venezuela (South America) and I'm writing to you for a very unusual help.

Here in Venezuela I'm a technical diver, devoted to explore our sea wrecks...one of them was a Curtiss C-46 airplane crashed on August 1st, 1975 in front of our main harbour area...

Accident date: 01-08-1975.
Aircraft: Curtiss
Model: C-46 (1943 to 1945?).
YV-140C (former: YV-C-TGH),
Owner: LATINOAMERICANA AÉREA DE CARGA S.A. (LATINCARGA).

We recently discovered the wreck, sunk at more than 200 fts deep, INTACT!.

In my research of the origins of the plane, I found some data that lead me to this excellent site
(not sure about info accuracy)

C-46A-CU, serial 26465 / 41-12338 USAAF
431019 C-46A 41-12338 Sqdn:99FrS Group:29FrG (sorry I don't know what means FrS and FrG)
Constructed between 1943 a 1945.

Please any info you can provide or verify if mine is accurate will be very helpful for my research

Sincerely yours,

Inst. Henry Arismendi
PADI, IANTD, DSAT Instructor
Venezuela
www.scubadelivery.com

Hi All,

Would just like to add that C-46A-10-CU, 26465, CU105, was delivered to the USAAF as 41-12338 on April 17, 1943.

Any details on the 1975 accident?

Amado

The date "431019" refers to an earlier accident on this birds record.....

431019 C-46A 41-12338 99FrS 29FrG 10th AAF CBI - CRMF (crash due to mechanical failure) - damage must have been minor...

FrS / FrG = Ferrying Squadron / Ferrying Group

see here: http://www.cbi-history.com/part_ii.html


Martin

Same date, but next door in Docello, Colombia, a Douglas DC-3 from the Colombian Air Force / SATENA (Servicios Aereos a los Territorions Nacionales) airline, FAC-688 crashed [without any additional information available].

Saludos,


Tulio

January 08, 1975
Time: 08:30

FAC-688

Route: San Vicente del Caguan - Florencia

Crashed and burned in mountains while en route. Improper flight planning by proceeding in mountainous terrain during adverse weather conditions which had reduced visibility along the route.

Fatalities: 21 (passengers:17 crew:4) - some sources have the number at 30

Cordially
Martin

Thank you, Martin!

Yes, I had 30 on board, but no other info regarding casualties.

My files have been upgraded now.

Thank you again.

Saludos,


Tulio