Date & Time:
Oct 18, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Grumman HU-16 (SA-16) Albatross
Operator:
Registration:
51-7145
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Đà Nẵng - Đà Nẵng
MSN:
G-195
YOM:
1952
Flight number:
Crown Bravo
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from Đà Nẵng in poor weather for a patrol over the Gulf of Tonkin. Using the call signe Crown Bravo, a name that was assigned to the afternoon patrol of each day, the aircraft encountered worsening weather and failed to make a routine radio report. As soon as the weather cleared enough a second Albatross left Đà Nẵng on a SAR mission. No trace of the aircraft or its crew was ever found. The last known position was about 64 km off Đồng Hới.
Crew:
Maj Ralph Harold Angstadt,
1st Lt John Henry Sotheron Long,
Maj Inzar William Rackley,
T/Sgt Robert Laverne Hill,
S/Sgt Lawrence Clark,
S/Sgt John Reginald Shoneck,
A2C Steven Harold Adams.
Source: Chris Hobson.
Crew:
Maj Ralph Harold Angstadt,
1st Lt John Henry Sotheron Long,
Maj Inzar William Rackley,
T/Sgt Robert Laverne Hill,
S/Sgt Lawrence Clark,
S/Sgt John Reginald Shoneck,
A2C Steven Harold Adams.
Source: Chris Hobson.
Probable cause:
It was suspected that the aircraft was lost due to extreme weather rather than enemy action.
