Saigon

Shortly after rotation at Tan Son Nhat Airport, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Flight CX033 was a scheduled flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok with an additional en-route stop at Saigon to transport a backlog of passengers. A Check captain joined the flight. The co-pilot was flying the aircraft from the left-hand seat whilst the pilot-in-command occupied the right-hand seat to assess his performance. The Check captain occupied the jump seat behind the co-pilot from where he could monitor the performance of both pilots. At 10:31 the aircraft commenced to taxi out for takeoff on runway 13. A wind check of 010/10 kt was passed by the tower and acknowledged by the aircraft when the takeoff clearance was given. At 10:34 a rolling takeoff was commenced. The co-pilot, who was piloting the aircraft, increased the power to 1.5 EPR after which the engineer set the engines at maximum power. The aircraft accelerated normally but at a speed of slightly under 120 kt (as reported by the co-pilot) heavy vibration was experienced. The vibration increased in severity and the co-pilot decided to discontinue the takeoff. He called "abort", closed the power levers, applied maximum symmetrical braking and selected the spoilers. The abort action was stated to have been taken promptly except that there was a delay of 4-5 sec in applying reverse thrust which was then used at full power throughout the remainder of the aircraft's travel. No significant decrease in the rate of acceleration occurred until after an indicated airspeed of 133 kt had been attained, there was then a slow build-up of speed to 137 kt over the next 2 sec after which deceleration commenced. Both pilots were applying full brakes but neither of them felt the antiskid cycling. The aircraft continued to run straight some distance after initial braking was applied but then a veer to the right commenced. Opposite rudder was used but failed to check this forcing the use of differential braking to the extent that eventually the right brake had been eased off completely, whilst maximum left braking, full left rudder, full lateral control to the left, and nose-wheel steering were being applied, These actions were only partly effective and the aircraft eventually left the runway and entered the grass strip. The turn to the right continued until finally the aircraft crossed the seawall. All four engines separated on impact with, the sea, the nose of the aircraft was smashed in and the fuselage above floor level between the flight deck and the leading edge of the wing was fractured in two places. The aircraft spun to the right and came to rest some 400 ft from the seawall. A passenger was killed while 33 other were injured.

As the aircraft was about to take off for its return flight to Phan Rang, the pilot saw a huge thunderstorm directly in its path and decided to abort the flight. He was observed to taxi along the runway to return to the parking area and had covered about 2,000 feet when the tower warned him to clear the runway immediately. However, before the Provider could turn off the runway it was hit by a Thunderchief as it landed in poor visibility. The F-105's starboard wing sliced through the left side of the C-123's fuselage and the jet's fuselage tore off both the Provider's engines from its port wing. The Thunderchief pilot died in the collision and the burning aircraft tumbled down the runway for another 5,000 feet. All the C-123 crew escaped with burns, although one of them died from his injuries few days later.
Source: Chris Hobson

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the South China Sea while completing a cargo flight from Taipei to Saigon. Six occupants were killed while three others were rescued by the crew of a British vessel.

A Boeing B-52D-75-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0595 and carrying a crew of six and a Boeing B-52D-80-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0627 carrying a crew of seven departed Andersen AFB, Guam, on a bombing mission over the A Shau Valley. While approaching the coast of South Vietnam, both aircraft collided and crashed into the mouth of the Mekong River, about 100 km south of Saigon. Three crew members on board the first aircraft were found alive as well as three others on board the second aircraft. It is believed the collision occurred when one of the crew wanted to modify his position in the formation.

Crew (56-0595):
Cpt George Westbrook, pilot,
Cpt Harold Dean Thompson, copilot,
Cpt Charles Herman Blankenship, navigator, †
1st Lt George Emerson Jones, radio navigator, †
Cpt Toki Endo, EWO,
M/Sgt Olen Burke McLaughlin, air gunner. †

Crew (56-0627):
Maj John Suther, pilot,
Cpt William Creedon, copilot,
Lt Rod Gable, navigator,
Maj Gen William Joseph Crumm, air cdr, †
Maj Paul Andrew Avolese, radio navigator, †
Cpt David Fritz Bittenbender, EWO, †
Sgt Lynn Chase, air gunner.

A Boeing B-52D-75-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0595 and carrying a crew of six and a Boeing B-52D-80-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0627 carrying a crew of seven departed Andersen AFB, Guam, on a bombing mission over the A Shau Valley. While approaching the coast of South Vietnam, both aircraft collided and crashed into the mouth of the Mekong River, about 100 km south of Saigon. Three crew members on board the first aircraft were found alive as well as three others on board the second aircraft. It is believed the collision occurred when one of the crew wanted to modify his position in the formation.

Crew (56-0595):
Cpt George Westbrook, pilot,
Cpt Harold Dean Thompson, copilot,
Cpt Charles Herman Blankenship, navigator, †
1st Lt George Emerson Jones, radio navigator, †
Cpt Toki Endo, EWO,
M/Sgt Olen Burke McLaughlin, air gunner. †

Crew (56-0627):
Maj John Suther, pilot,
Cpt William Creedon, copilot,
Lt Rod Gable, navigator,
Maj Gen William Joseph Crumm, air cdr, †
Maj Paul Andrew Avolese, radio navigator, †
Cpt David Fritz Bittenbender, EWO, †
Sgt Lynn Chase, air gunner.

On final approach to Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, following an uneventful cargo flight from Manila, the four engine aircraft collided with a US Air Force McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom registered 65-0861. Its crew (two pilots) was returning to Saigon following a supply mission. After the collision, both aircraft went out of control and crashed about 6 km from the runway threshold. While both pilots of the Phantom were able to eject safely, all seven occupants on board the Constellation were killed.

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.

On touchdown at Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, the nose gear collapsed. The airplane slid on runway for several yards before coming to rest. All five crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Crash in unknown circumstances near Phan Rang while completing an administrative service from Cam Ranh Bay to Saigon. All 25 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Cdr Leo Claude Hester,
Lt Cdr Robert George Kerr,
AN Francis Raymond Ferron,
ADR2 Cecil Leroy Chapman.