Nha Trang

While descending to Nha Trang Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy rain falls. On approach, the aircraft deviated from the W13 airway by six km when it struck trees, lost height and crashed on the slope of a mountain located 350 metres, about 33 km southwest of Nha Trang. The wreckage was found eight days later at an altitude of 970 metres. A passenger was seriously injured while 30 other occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor due to the presence of typhoon 'Forest' approaching the area.

While approaching Nha Trang Airport on a cargo flight from Đà Lạt, the airplane was shot down by a SA-7 surface-to-air missile and crashed 9 km southwest of Nha Trang. The wreckage was found four days later and all nine occupants have been killed.

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.

While approaching Nha Trang on a flight from Saigon, the pilot informed ATC about an explosion on board and that control was heavy. The hydraulic system failed so the undercarriage must be lowered manually. The captain decided to perform a low pass over the runway to check the landing gear with ATC. That made, the crew completed a nose high and flapless landing shortly later. After touchdown just over the threshold, the crew activated the reverse thrust systems when the airplane became airborne. So the throttles were closed and the aircraft landed again but too far down the runway. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, it overran, struck a concrete pylon and several obstacles before coming to rest in flames in a popular area. Ten passengers and 24 people on the ground were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

The crew was involved in a radio intelligence mission over Laos. While cruising at an altitude of 9,500 feet, the airplane was hit by enemy fire and the left engine caught fire. The crew was able to leave the combat zone and to return to South Vietnam before completing an emergency landing at the special forces camp of Ben Het. The aircraft crash landed and was destroyed while all six crew members escaped uninjured.

Shortly after midnight on the 28th a Combat talon C-130E-I, flown by crew S-01, took off from Nha Trang and headed at low-level towards Hanoi on a special operations mission. The aircraft was to make a leaflet drop west of the city followed by a diversionary resupply drop in the Song Da Valley in North Vietnam. Diversionary drops were sometimes made by the Combat Talon aircraft to fool the enemy into thinking that a clandestine team was working in a particular area. The aircraft made a radio transmission about four hours later indicating that the mission was progressing normally. After that message there was no further radio contact and the aircraft was posted as missing on the morning of the 29th. It was presumed that the aircraft had either been shot down by ground fire over North Vietnam or had flown into the ground as it was returning at low-level in the dark. A two-week search along the aircraft's planned route failed to reveal any sightings of wreckage. Investigations at a crash site in mountain in the Lai Châu province of North Vietnam in 1992 and 9913 failed to provide conclusive evidence of human remains. The aircraft had crashed about 51 km northeast of Điện Biên Phủ and the site had already been scavenged by villagers. However a subsequent investigation did discover some scant remains but these are still awaiting positive identification. The wreckage was found just below the summit of a high karst cliff indicating that the aircraft had probably flown into high ground as it was returning from its mission.
Crew:
Cpt Edwin Nelms Osborne,
Cpt Gerald Gordon Van Buren,
Maj Charles Peter Claxton,
Maj Donald Ellis Fisher,
Cpt Frank Claveloux Parker,
Cpt Gordon James Wenaas,
T/Sgt Jack McCrary,
S/Sgt Wayne Alvin Eckley,
S/Sgt Gean Preston Clapper,
A1C Edward Joseph Darcy,
A1C James Randall Williams.
Source: Chris Hobson

While approaching Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, the crew was vectored around an artillery firing zone. However, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion 19 km east of the airport, killing all 10 occupants.
Crew:
Cpt Jerome Frank Starkweather,
Cpt Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer,
Cpt Richard W. Podell,
S/Sgt Ricky Lynn Herndon,
S/Sgt Ira Edward Scott,
S/Sgt William Everett Tyree,
1st Lt Richard A. Gray,
SP5 Andrew Harry Shimp,
SP5 Frank Richard Ragusa,
SP4 Craig Ray Schoenbaum.

While on a reconnaissance mission, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed on a hilly terrain located 16 km south of Duc Phô. The wreckage was found two days later and all seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj Ivel Doan Freeman,
Maj Leroy Preston Bohrer,
Cpt Roger Paul Richardson,
S/Sgt Prentice Fay Brenton,
T/Sgt Raymond Francis Leftwich,
A1C Chalres Dwayne Land,
A1C Daniel Cortez Reese.

The airplane was returning to Nha Trang following an airlift mission. In unclear circumstances, it appears the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed 25 km south of Cam Ranh Bay. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Jerome Joseph Smith,
1st Lt James Howard Graff,
1st Lt David Albert Thorpe,
S/Sgt Raymond Lee Wheeler,
A1C Billy Jack Clayton.