Crash of a Douglas AC-47D Spooky in Ban Salou: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1965 at 1050 LT
Operator:
Registration:
45-1120
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Đà Nẵng - Đà Nẵng
MSN:
17123/34390
YOM:
1945
Flight number:
Spooky 21
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
A few hours before the Christmas bombing halt was due to come into effect, an AC-47 gunship took off from Đà Nẵng for a daylight mission over southern Laos looking for targets of opportunity. When the aircraft was a few miles south of Ban Bac, a mayday call from Spooky 21 was heard by other aircraft in the area but there was no further radio contact with the gunship. Some debris were found in 1995 and some human remains in 2010.
Crew:
Maj Derrell Blackburn Jeffords,
1st Lt Dennis Lee Eilers,
Maj Joseph Christiano,
M/Sgt Larry C. Thornton,
T/Sgt William Kevin Colwell,
S/Sgt Arden Keith Hassenger.
Source: Chris Hobson