United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947)

The crew was completing a local training mission at Duke Field, Florida. Following several touch-and-go manoeuvres, the crew completed a circuit at low height to start a new approach when, during a last turn, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames half a mile short of runway threshold. The airplane was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.

The aircraft departed Plattsburgh (NY) on a "Chrome Dome" airborne alert over the Ballistic Missle Early Warning System (BMEWS) at Thule Air Base, Greenland. An in-flight fire caused by a faulty heater knocked out electrical power. The crew ejected over Thule Air Base, except for one who was killed bailing out through a hatch. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed onto the ice sea. High explosive of four thermonuclear bombs detonated on impact, causing widespread contamination, but no nuclear detonation. Operation Crested Ice launched to clean up radioactive ice & snow.
Crew:
Cpt John Haug, pilot,
Cpt Leonard Svitenko, copilot, †
Maj Alfred Joe D'Amario, pilot,
Cpt Richard "Dick" Marx, EWO,
Maj Frank Hopkins, radio navigator,
Cpt Curtis Criss, navigator,
S/Sgt Cal Snapp, air gunner.

The departure from Minot AFB to Glasgow was attempted in a snowstorm. At liftoff, the four engine airplane went out of control and crashed in flames within the runway edge. The airplane was destroyed and all 13 occupants were killed, among them Maj Gen Charles M. Eisenhart who was completing a troop's check.

Shortly after takeoff from Rome-Ciampino Airport, while climbing, the pilot informed ATC about an engine failure and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. After completing a last turn, the airplane stalled and crashed in an open field located few dozen yards short of runway. A passenger was killed while six other occupants were injured.

While bombing a convoy in northeast Laos, the airplane was shot down by 37mm artillery and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Carlos Rafael Cruz,
Cpt William Joseph Potter,
A1C Paul Leonard Foster.

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 Griffiss AFB, while climbing, the crew encountered technical problems with both engines number 5 & 6 which overheated. They were apparently shut down and the captain decided to return for a safe landing and was vectored for an ILS approach to runway 15. While descending to an altitude of 2,000 feet, the airplane became unstable and went out of control when two of the crew members ejected. The aircraft then crashed few miles from the airbase and was destroyed, killing all six crew members who remained on board.
Crew:
Maj Robert A. Richards, pilot, †
1st Lt William S. Fairhurst, copilot,
1st Lt Sidney W. Glover, radar navigator,
Maj Lloyd D. Lassman, radar navigator, †
Cpt Joe E. Turner, EWO, †
S/Sgt John Nealey Snyder, gunner, †
S/Sgt Willard F. Walker, crew chief, †
Sgt Gordon S. Flick, crew chief. †