Vietnam

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 on a supply mission in the region of Bình Thủy, the airplane was struck by a mortar shell that hit the fuel tank. The crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a rice paddy field and came to rest. Both crew members were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crashed in unknown circumstances 87 km south from Buôn Ma Thuột, South Vietnam. All five crew members were rescued.

While approaching Qui Nhơn Airport on a flight from Pleiku, weather conditions deteriorated and the crew was informed by ATC that the airport was closed to traffic because the visibility was below minima, and was vectored to Nha Trang. The pilot-in-command abandoned the approach, started a go-around procedure and diverted to Nha Trang. Few minutes later, while cruising in a limited visibility due to low clouds, the airplane struck tree tops and crashed on the top of a wooded mountain. As the airplane crashed in an enemy zone, SAR could not reach the site. The wreckage was eventually found few weeks later. All 26 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor and the mountain was shrouded in clouds.
Crew:
Maj Thomas Dewey Moore,
Maj William Jerome Clark,
S/Sgt Arturo Delgado-Marin,
S/Sgt Stanley Joseph Yurewicz.

Shortly after takeoff from Long Bình Airfield, while climbing, the single engine airplane went out of control and crashed in flames. All seven occupants were killed. 22DEC1967 is also reported for this accident.

After liftoff from Mỹ Tho Airstrip, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a rice paddy field. While all five passengers were injured, the pilot Roelf Bijl was killed.

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 somewhere in Vietnam while completing a flight from Phan Rang to Pleiku. All 16 occupants were killed.

During a resupply mission to the Marine Corps based at Khe Sanh, at Hercules crashed short of the runway during a GCA approach and caught fire, killing all but one of the crew. The aircraft was attempting to deliver a load of sandbags by flying low and slow over the runway and pushing them out of the back. The sandbags were needed as part of a major reconstruction programme at the base and had to airdropped as the runway was being rebuilt. The weather was poor at the time with a low cloud base and the accident was thought to have been due to pilot error rather than enemy action.
Crew:
Cpt Erie Lawrence Bjorke,
1st Lt James Randall Hottenroth,
T/Sgt Edward Mosley,
A2C John Herbert Snyder,
Sgt Charles Lynn Baney.
Source: Chris Hobson

While taking off from Đắk Tô Airport, the airplane collided with a bulldozer. The driver was killed and the crew was able to continue the takeoff procedure and to land at Cam Ranh Bay Airport without further problems. However, the aircraft was later considered as damaged beyond repair.