Date & Time:
Oct 20, 1968 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
45-0934
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Saigon – Đà Nẵng – Hong Kong
MSN:
16937/34196
YOM:
1945
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
12
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
11
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet on a flight from Saigon to Đà Nẵng, the right engine failed. The crew was unable to feather the propeller nor to maintain the assigned altitude so the captain decided to divert to Buôn Ma Thuột Airport. While descending, the airplane went out of control and crashed at an altitude of 700 meters on a plateau located 18 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all 23 occupants were killed, among them two US civilians.
Crew:
Lt Col Howard Elmer Van Vliet,
Lt Col Robert Brooks Richardson,
Lt Col Council Lee Royal,
Maj Gerald Eugene Burgener,
Maj Basil Lincoln Ciriello,
Maj Gerald Dean Ziehe,
Cpt Gayland Omer Scott,
M/Sgt William Parker Bowman,
T/Sgt Donald William Bruck,
T/Sgt Billy Day Morris,
T/Sgt John Derral Thomas,
S/Sgt Eugene William Hendricks.
Crew:
Lt Col Howard Elmer Van Vliet,
Lt Col Robert Brooks Richardson,
Lt Col Council Lee Royal,
Maj Gerald Eugene Burgener,
Maj Basil Lincoln Ciriello,
Maj Gerald Dean Ziehe,
Cpt Gayland Omer Scott,
M/Sgt William Parker Bowman,
T/Sgt Donald William Bruck,
T/Sgt Billy Day Morris,
T/Sgt John Derral Thomas,
S/Sgt Eugene William Hendricks.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for undetermined reason.
