Vietnam | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The electronic warfare airplane was engaged in a radio research mission out from Huế-Phu Bai Airport. En route, it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile and crashed near the demilitarized zone (DMZ). All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Michael W. Marker, pilot,
Wo1 Harold L. Algaard, copilot.
Passengers:
Sp5 Rodney D. Osborne,
Sp5 Richard J. Hentz,
Sp6 John T. Strawn.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a surface-to-air missile.

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

Date & Time: Feb 10, 1971

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-123 Provider

Operator:

Registration:

56-4373

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Spraying (Agricultural)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Phan Rang - Phan Rang

MSN:

20257

YOM:

1956

Location:

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Region:

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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 De Havilland C-7B Caribou in Đà Lạt

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1971

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou

Operator:

Registration:

62-12584

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

145

YOM:

1963

Location:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances near Đà Lạt, South Vietnam. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were injured.

Probable cause:

Without further details, USAF confirmed the accident was the consequence of a pilot error.

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A Otter off Tuy Hòa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1970

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Operator:

Registration:

55-3298

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Biên Hòa – Tuy Hòa

MSN:

153

YOM:

1956

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was returning from Tuy Hòa from a Special Forces mission to Biên Hòa and had already radioed Tuy Hòa tower that it was 15 miles south for a landing. This radio call was the last thing heard from the aircraft. Witnesses testified that the aircraft was seen burning in flight and impacted into the South China Sea in two parts about eight miles south of Tuy Hoa. Neither the aircraft nor the remains of three crew members have been recovered.

Crash of a Grumman C-2A Greyhound into the Gulf of Tonkin: 9 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Grumman C-2A Greyhound

Operator:

Registration:

155120

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

USS Ranger - USS Ranger

MSN:

Location:

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Circumstances:

Just after being catapulted from the USS Ranger (CVA-61), the airplane stalled and crashed into the Gulf of Tonkin, some 130 km northeast of Đà Nẵng. The aircraft was lost and all nine occupants have been killed.
Crew:
Lt Meril Olen McCoy,
Lt(jg) Anthony J. Piersanti,
P03 Clyde Chilton Owen,
AMS3 John Frank Szlapa.

Probable cause:

It is believed the loss of control may have been caused by the cargo that shifted at liftoff.

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

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1970 at 0735 LT

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-123 Provider

Operator:

Registration:

54-0649

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Phan Rang - Cam Ranh Bay

MSN:

20098

YOM:

1954

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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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:

Fairchild C-123 Provider

Operator:

Registration:

55-4574

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Saigon - Nha Trang

MSN:

20235

YOM:

1955

Location:

Country:

Region:

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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 De Havilland RU-6A Beaver in Cần Thơ: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1970 at 0930 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Registration:

53-3724

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Cần Thơ - Cần Thơ

MSN:

681

YOM:

1954

Location:

Cần Thơ

Cần Thơ City District

Country:

Vietnam

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local training flight. Shortly after takeoff from Cần Thơ Airfield, while climbing to a height of 1,000 feet, the airplane collided with a South Vietnam Air Force Bell UH-1H that was completing an evacuation mission, carrying two crew members and 13 passengers, among them few children. Following the collision, both planes crashed in a field, killing all 18 occupants.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the collision remains unclear. It occurred in good weather conditions.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando in Quy Nhơn

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

B-1543

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Saigon – Quảng Ngãi

MSN:

33021

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Apparently following fuel problems (fuel exhaustion ?), the crew was forced to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed on a beach located in Quy Nhơn. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3DST-318A near Đà Nẵng: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1970

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

B-305

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Saigon - Huê

MSN:

3251

YOM:

1940

Location:

Đà Nẵng

Đà Nẵng City District

Country:

Vietnam

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Huê Airport, the crew was instructed by ATC to divert to Đà Nẵng Airport due to poor weather conditions. While approaching Đà Nẵng at low height, the airplane struck a mountain (970 meters high) located near the Cloud Pass, about 17 km north of the airfield. A passenger and three crew members were killed.

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