Crash of a Fairchild UC-123K Provider in Phan Rang: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 10, 1971
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-4373
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Phan Rang - Phan Rang
MSN:
20257
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While completing a spraying mission against malarial mosquitoes, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Phan Rang. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Charles Milton Deas,
1st Lt Richard William O'Keefe,
Lt Col Daniel Harrison Tate,
M/Sgt Donald Louis Dunn,
T/Sgt Clyde Wendell Hanson.
Probable cause:
Crew error.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider near Cam Ranh Bay: 42 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1970 at 0735 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0649
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Phan Rang - Cam Ranh Bay
MSN:
20098
YOM:
1954
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
39
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
42
Circumstances:
Ten minutes after his departure from Phan Rang Air Base, the pilot started the descent to Cam Ranh Bay via a steep valley (3 km wide and 15 km long) at an altitude of 2,700 feet via heading 30°. Shortly later, ATC instructed the crew to change heading to 100° when contact was lost. The airplane struck trees with its both wings, stalled and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located few km from Cam Ranh Bay Airport. Rescuers arrived on the scene five days later and found two men still alive while 42 other occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was nil due to low clouds.
Crew:
Cpt Cecil Gerald Moyer,
Cpt Norbert Albert Podhajsky,
1st Lt James Francis Saxby,
S/Sgt Grayson Henry Newberry,
S/Sgt Harry Allen Watson.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider near Nha Trang: 79 killed

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1970 at 1330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
55-4574
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Saigon - Nha Trang
MSN:
20235
YOM:
1955
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
73
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
79
Circumstances:
While descending to Nha Trang Air Base on a flight from Saigon, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility and a low ceiling at 2,000 feet. On approach at an altitude of 4,600 feet, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the right wing struck trees. Out of control, the airplane crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the slope of a mountain, some 25 km southwest of the airport. Due to poor weather conditions and the fact that the aircraft crashed in an inaccessible area, the crash site was reached nine days later only. The wreckage was found about 150 feet below the summit and all 79 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, ceiling was broken at 2,000 feet and the horizontal visibility was estimated to 1,500 meters.
Crew:
1st Lt Marvin S. Arthington,
Maj Robert Lee Baker,
1st Lt Frederick M. Rader,
T/Sgt William Brandon O'Kieff,
Sgt Allen James Bodin,
A1c Frederick Richard Neff.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider in Cam Ranh Bay: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 10, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
55-4527
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Phan Rang – Cam Ranh Bay
MSN:
20188
YOM:
1955
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While approaching Cam Ranh Bay Airport on a flight from Phan Rang, an engine failed. The crew lost control of the airplane that crashed few km from the airfield. A crew member survived while three others were killed.
Crew:
Maj Grant Reed Waugh, †
Cpt Dwaine Elbyrne Mattox, †
T/Sgt Bernard Francis Morrill, †
+ one crew, name unknown.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by an engine failure on approach.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123B Provider at Santa Bernardina AFB: 17 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1970 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Santa Bernardina - Santa Bernardina
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
The airplane arrived in the morning from Montevideo-Carrasco and its crew already completed several sortie in the morning. Around noon, 13 officers of the Uruguayan Army embarked the airplane and the crew was supposed to make a demonstration flight, proving the manoeuvrability of the airplane. While flying at low height, the airplane struck a tree and crashed in a huge explosion near the runway 27 threshold. A passenger was seriously injured (burned) while 16 other occupants were killed. Few hours later, the only survivor died from his injuries. Among the passengers was Col Américo Gonzalez, Chief of the Santa Bernardina Airbase.
Crew:
Maj William Kern, pilot,
Cpt Richard Morris, copilot,
S/Sgt José Rivera,
Sgt Alfred Ford.
Passengers:
Col Américo Gonzalez,
Maj Roberto Dego,
Maj Ibes Tinetti,
Cpt Heráclio Abelleira,
1st lt Manuel Villamil,
2nd Lt Rolando Paller,
2nd Lt Dámaso Sosa,
2nd Lt Mario Scarzella,
Ens Ricardo Rodríguez,
Ens Héctor Angellini,
Ens Rubén Spinelli,
Ens José Suárez,
Ens Rubén Feria.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider in Phan Rang

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0688
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
20137
YOM:
1954
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On touchdown at Phan Rang Airport, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane slid for dozen yards, overran and came to rest. All five crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the nose gear upon landing for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider in Gia Nghĩa: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
55-4562
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
20223
YOM:
1955
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
On final approach to Gia Nghĩa, the airplane struck the ground and crashed in a field located few dozen yards short of runway threshold. It broke in two and caught fire. A crew member was killed while four others were injured.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider in Kien Giang: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0642
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
20091
YOM:
1954
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Kien Giang, while in initial climb, the airplane banked sharply to the left and crashed, killing all five crew members.
Crew:
Cpt William F. Unckrich,
1st Lt Charles Franklin Burrell,
T/Sgt Harry Clifton Shepard,
S/Sgt Lavoyn Augustus Jones,
A1C Leland Craig Johnson.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider near Biên Hòa: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0639
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
20088
YOM:
1954
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While on an airlift sortie, the airplane was hit by enemy fire. The crew elected to divert to Biên Hòa Airport for an emergency landing but on descent, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames 10 km from the airfield. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Neil William Hayden,
1st Lt Douglas McArthur Evans,
M/Sgt Duane Leland Hartenhoff,
T/Sgt Kermit Bruce Roberts,
S/Sgt Carl Joseph Wanner,
Sgt Milton Jackson Bush.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123B-11-FA Provider near Chu Lai: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0708
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Chu Lai – Đà Nẵng
MSN:
20157
YOM:
1954
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Chu Lai Airbase, the crew encountered technical difficulties with the fuel transfer system. When engine developed problems, the pilot loss of control of the aircraft that crashed. Three crew members were killed while a fourth occupant was rescued.
Crew:
Cpt Kenneth Roy Crist,
1st Lt Roger Henry Strout,
S/Sgt Jesse John Bradshaw.
Probable cause:
Engine problems caused by fuel transfer issue.