Crash of a Fairchild C-123K Provider near Biên Hòa: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0639
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
20088
YOM:
1954
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While on an airlift sortie, the airplane was hit by enemy fire. The crew elected to divert to Biên Hòa Airport for an emergency landing but on descent, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames 10 km from the airfield. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Neil William Hayden,
1st Lt Douglas McArthur Evans,
M/Sgt Duane Leland Hartenhoff,
T/Sgt Kermit Bruce Roberts,
S/Sgt Carl Joseph Wanner,
Sgt Milton Jackson Bush.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Boeing B-52D-75-DO Stratofortress off Andersen AFB: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-0593
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
17276
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Shortly after a night takeoff from Andersen AFB, while climbing to a low height, the pilot-in-command initiated a turn to the right when control was lost. The airplane crashed into the sea few dozen yards offshore and disintegrated on impact. All six crew members were killed. They were enroute to Vietnam.
Crew:
Cpt Larry Ivan Broadhead, pilot,
1st Lt Maurice Edward Lundy, copilot,
Cpt James L. Sipes, navigator,
Cpt Russell L. Platt, radio navigator,
1st Lt Thomas R. McCormick, EWO,
M/Sgt Harold B. Deel, air gunner.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the loss of control was the consequence of a gyrocompas intermittent malfunction was not ruled out as well as a structural failure.

Crash of a Boeing B-52F-65-BW Stratofortress at Castle AFB

Date & Time: May 8, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
57-0149
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Castle - Castle
MSN:
464138
YOM:
1957
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while on approach to Castle AFB. All seven crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130B Hercules in Lộc Ninh

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
61-2637
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Saigon – Lộc Ninh
MSN:
3673
YOM:
1962
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Lộc Ninh, the airplane was hit by ground fire. Upon touchdown, several tires burst. The airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in flames. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a Lockheed EC-121R Super Constellation in Korat: 18 killed

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1969 at 1559 LT
Operator:
Registration:
67-21493
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Korat - Korat
MSN:
4489
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
Batcat 21
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Captain / Total flying hours:
5583
Captain / Total hours on type:
1109.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
6607
Copilot / Total hours on type:
4388
Circumstances:
An EC-121R, 67-21493, callsign "BATCAT 21" from the 554th Recon Sq, was scheduled for a combat tactical mission out of Korat, Thailand. BATCAT 21 started engines approximately 15:20 and commenced taxi to run-up position at 15:30. After completing engine run-up, the flight was cleared for takeoff by Korat Tower at 15:54 and was advised to contact departure control. BATCAT 21 established contact with departure control and requested information on the position, direction of movement and speed of the thunderstorm cell near the base. Departure control advised BATCAT 21 that the thunderstorm was over the base and extended 20 miles southwest. BATCAT 21 requested a right turn after takeoff and radar vectoring around the thunderstorms. The controller requested the crew to maintain runway heading and indicated that he would vector the aircraft around the thunderstorms. Prior to becoming airborne, BATCAT 21 was advised that he was cleared to turn right to two eight zero degrees. The flight reported airborne at 15:58 and departure control advised the heading was two eight zero degrees and he would radar identify BATCAT 21. This was acknowledged and a short time later the crew requested to make a right turn if possible as it was very turbulent. Korat departure control approved the request. No further transmissions were received from BATCAT 21. The aircraft impacted with the ground gear up, engine power METO. The initial point of impact was in a rice paddy at a ground speed of 221 knots. Indicated airspeed was approximately 150-160 knots. As the aircraft traversed the rice paddies the under part of the wings and the propellers began to disintegrate. A dike separating the rice paddies, 80 yards from impact, started the disintegration of the accessory section of the engines. The right wing then struck a tree stump causing the path of the aircraft to veer slightly right. It continued on this path an additional 30 yards, struck another stump and returned to its original path across the ground, striking a tree with the number 2 engine and exploding 255 yards from impact. The fuselage continued down the rolling hill separating the two rice paddy areas and flipped to the right (the right side of the cockpit being the pivot point), finally coming to rest 300 yards from the touchdown point.
Source: ASN
Probable cause:
At approximately two and one half miles after lift-off and about 500 feet altitude, the aircraft entered a down draft which also was an area of strong wind shear. The aircraft experienced turbulence, but more significantly, the relative wind swiftly changed from a 20 knot head wind to at least a 20 knot tailwind. As the aircraft descended it entered the region closest to the ground where the tailwind was the strongest. Witness reports and wind damage estimates indicate the there was a most likely 60 knot tailwind at the surface when the aircraft crashed.

Crash of a Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker at Loring AFB

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-3602
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Loring - Loring
MSN:
17351
YOM:
1958
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll at Loring AFB, the crew encountered technical issues with the water injection system and the captain decided to abort. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, went down an embankment and came to rest in flames, broken in two. All seven occupants were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the water injection system due to frozen water.

Crash of a Douglas A-26A Invader in Nakhon Phanom: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
64-17673
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Nakhon Phanom - Nakhon Phanom
MSN:
27414
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While approaching Nakhon Phanom Airport following an interdiction mission, the crew was trying to establish whether the gear was down or not when both engines failed. The airplane stalled and crashed, killing both pilots.
Crew:
Cpt Neal E. Monette,
Maj John V. Callanan.
Probable cause:
Failure of both engines due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130E Hercules at Ching Chuan Kang AFB: 12 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
64-0545
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
4035
YOM:
1964
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
While approaching Ching Chuan Kang AFB in Taichung, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. In below weather minima, the captain decided to continue the approach when the airplane struck the ground and crashed in flames short of runway threshold. Nine crew members were killed while three others were seriously injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed. All three survivors died from their injuries on 14, 15 and 16 of March 1969.

Crash of a De Havilland C-7B Caribou in Phù Cát

Date & Time: Mar 1, 1969
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
63-9762
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
227
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach, the airplane was too low and crashed short of runway threshold. All three crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration.