Crash of a Boeing B-52D-75-BO Stratofortress in Đà Nẵng: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-0601
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Andersen - Andersen
MSN:
17284
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew departed Andersen AFB, Guam, on a bombing mission over the A Shau Valley. While overflying the region of Vinh, the electrical system failed, causing some of the hydraulic systems to fail as well. The captain decided to divert to Đà Nẵng Airport for an emergency landing. As the crew was unable to deploy the flaps, the captain attempted a go-around. Few minutes later, he completed a flapless landing on runway 17L. The B-52 touched down 1,000 feet past the runway threshold. After a course of 6,000 feet, it overran at a speed of 100 knots, struck a drainage ditch and came to rest in a landmine and exploded. The gunner was rescued while all five other crew members were killed in the crash.
Crew:
Maj Gene Wesley Brown, †
Cpt James Thomas Davis, †
Cpt Anthony Kent Johnson, †
Cpt William Henry Pritchard, †
Cpt Donald J. Reynolds, †
Albert Whatley.
Probable cause:
Failure of the electrical system and hydraulic system.

Crash of a Boeing B-52D-80-BO Stratofortress off Saigon: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-0627
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Andersen - Andersen
MSN:
17310
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
A Boeing B-52D-75-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0595 and carrying a crew of six and a Boeing B-52D-80-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0627 carrying a crew of seven departed Andersen AFB, Guam, on a bombing mission over the A Shau Valley. While approaching the coast of South Vietnam, both aircraft collided and crashed into the mouth of the Mekong River, about 100 km south of Saigon. Three crew members on board the first aircraft were found alive as well as three others on board the second aircraft. It is believed the collision occurred when one of the crew wanted to modify his position in the formation.

Crew (56-0595):
Cpt George Westbrook, pilot,
Cpt Harold Dean Thompson, copilot,
Cpt Charles Herman Blankenship, navigator, †
1st Lt George Emerson Jones, radio navigator, †
Cpt Toki Endo, EWO,
M/Sgt Olen Burke McLaughlin, air gunner. †

Crew (56-0627):
Maj John Suther, pilot,
Cpt William Creedon, copilot,
Lt Rod Gable, navigator,
Maj Gen William Joseph Crumm, air cdr, †
Maj Paul Andrew Avolese, radio navigator, †
Cpt David Fritz Bittenbender, EWO, †
Sgt Lynn Chase, air gunner.

Crash of a Boeing B-52D-75-BO Stratofortress off Saigon: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-0595
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Andersen - Andersen
MSN:
17278
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
A Boeing B-52D-75-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0595 and carrying a crew of six and a Boeing B-52D-80-BO Stratofortress registered 56-0627 carrying a crew of seven departed Andersen AFB, Guam, on a bombing mission over the A Shau Valley. While approaching the coast of South Vietnam, both aircraft collided and crashed into the mouth of the Mekong River, about 100 km south of Saigon. Three crew members on board the first aircraft were found alive as well as three others on board the second aircraft. It is believed the collision occurred when one of the crew wanted to modify his position in the formation.

Crew (56-0595):
Cpt George Westbrook, pilot,
Cpt Harold Dean Thompson, copilot,
Cpt Charles Herman Blankenship, navigator, †
1st Lt George Emerson Jones, radio navigator, †
Cpt Toki Endo, EWO,
M/Sgt Olen Burke McLaughlin, air gunner. †

Crew (56-0627):
Maj John Suther, pilot,
Cpt William Creedon, copilot,
Lt Rod Gable, navigator,
Maj Gen William Joseph Crumm, air cdr, †
Maj Paul Andrew Avolese, radio navigator, †
Cpt David Fritz Bittenbender, EWO, †
Sgt Lynn Chase, air gunner.

Crash of a Boeing B-52G-85-BW Stratofortress off Jobos Beach: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1967 at 1648 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
57-6494
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
464199
YOM:
1957
Country:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Ramey AFB, Aguadilla, while climbing to a height of 3,000 feet, the airplane adopted a nose-down attitude then plunged into the sea off Jobos Beach. Three crew members who were able to bail out before impact were found alive while four others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Cpt Donald Foster, pilot, †
Cpt Erwin Cowart, copilot, †
Cpt Taivo Patajan, navigator,
1st Lt Paul Grimm, navigator,
1st Lt Richard St. George, EWO, †
S/Sgt Leroy Spencer, crew Chief, †
T/Sgt Ronald Hagis, gunner.
Probable cause:
It was determined that a life raft stowed behind the copilot inflated during initial climb, pushing him into the control column.

Crash of a Douglas C-124C Globemaster II at Whiteman AFB

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1967
Operator:
Registration:
50-0086
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
43224
YOM:
1950
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Whiteman AFB, the pilot-in-command decided to make a go-around for undetermined reason when the airplane stalled and crashed short of runway threshold. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130E Hercules at Pope AFB

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
63-7801
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
3867
YOM:
1963
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown at Pope AFB, the airplane went out of control and veered off runway. A wing was torn off and the Hercules came to rest. All five crew members were uninjured.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130B Hercules in An Khe: 35 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1967 at 1930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
60-0293
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
An Khe – Quy Nhơn
MSN:
3591
YOM:
1960
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
49
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
35
Circumstances:
The Hercules started its takeoff roll for the next leg to Quy Nhơn. Just before the aircraft was about to lift off it suddenly veered to the left and departed the runway. The pilot steered the aircraft back onto the runway but it overshot the end, rand own an embankment and burst into flames. Of the 56 passengers and crew on board a total of 35 were killed, cinlduing US, South Vietnamese and South Korean troops.
Source: Chris Hobson.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130B Hercules in Saigon: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
58-0737
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Nha Trang - Saigon
MSN:
3534
YOM:
1959
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While approaching Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, the crew was vectored around an artillery firing zone. However, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion 19 km east of the airport, killing all 10 occupants.
Crew:
Cpt Jerome Frank Starkweather,
Cpt Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer,
Cpt Richard W. Podell,
S/Sgt Ricky Lynn Herndon,
S/Sgt Ira Edward Scott,
S/Sgt William Everett Tyree,
1st Lt Richard A. Gray,
SP5 Andrew Harry Shimp,
SP5 Frank Richard Ragusa,
SP4 Craig Ray Schoenbaum.
Probable cause:
Structural failure of both wings which detached while on approach for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Douglas C-54G-1-DO Skymaster in Samsun

Date & Time: Jun 2, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
45-0515
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
35968
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The four engine aircraft crash landed in a field located 2 km southeast of Samsun Airport and came to rest in flames. While all six crew members escaped uninjured, the aircraft was partially destroyed by fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-133B-DL Cargomaster off Kadena AFB

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
59-0534
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kadena - Midway
MSN:
45585
YOM:
1959
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Kadena AFB in Okinawa, while climbing to an altitude of 12,450 feet, the engine number four began to malfunction and was shut down by the crew who also feathered the propeller. The crew was cleared to return to Kadena for an emergency landing. On final approach, while at an altitude of 2,500 feet, the three remaining engines failed simultaneously. The captain decided to ditch the airplane into the sea, about 5 km offshore. The airplane broke in two and partially sank while all nine crew members were rescued.
Probable cause:
Failure of the propeller control and propeller power circuit on approach, causing the engine to flameout.