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Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK on Mt Chelmos: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-93090
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Izmir – Naples
MSN:
12963
YOM:
1944
Location:
Mt Chelmos
Peloponnese / Πελοπόννησος
Country:
Greece
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a flight from Izmir to Naples, Italy, and while cruising over the Peloponnese province, he failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Chelmos Mountain Range, some 50 km southeast of Patras. The wreckage was found two days later and four occupants were seriously injured while six others were killed.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123B-12-FA Provider near An Khe: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-123 Provider
Operator:
Registration:
55-4519
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
20180
YOM:
1955
Location:
An Khe
Đà Nẵng City District
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
On a night supply mission, while cruising at an altitude of 1,200 feet, the airplane collided with a USAF Douglas A-1E Skyraider registered 52-133989 carrying one pilot who was pulling up into the path of the Provider following a VC position attack. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed near An Khe. All seven crew members in both aircraft were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Warren Lester Anderson,
Cpt Herman Hiram Ritchie,
T/Sgt Thomas Anthony Fodaro,
T/Sgt Irwin Lewis Hoffman,
S/Sgt Byron Hugh Crotwell,
S/Sgt Edward Joseph Hincewicz.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the collision could not be determined with certainty. However, it was reported that the Provider was not equipped with suitable instruments for a night mission (insufficient avionics). A poor ground radar coverage was also considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123B-9-FA Provider in Saigon

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-123 Provider
Operator:
Registration:
54-0676
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
20125
YOM:
1954
Location:
Saigon
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh City District
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the crew contacted ground and obtained the permission to divert to Saigon-Tan Son Nhat for an emergency landing after an in-flight. After landing, the airplane came to rest in flames and was destroyed while both pilots escaped uninjured. The cause of the fire was probably a sabotage but this was not proven.
Probable cause:
In-flight fire in the cargo compartment for undetermined reason.

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

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
61-0970
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Saigon - An Khe
MSN:
3667
YOM:
1962
Location:
An Khe
Đà Nẵng City District
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown at An Khe Airport, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All five crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was written off. The airplane was completing a resupply mission from Saigon.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119C-25-FA Flying Boxcar in Scranton: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
Operator:
Registration:
51-2611
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Hartford – Binghamton
MSN:
10600
YOM:
1951
Location:
Scranton
Pennsylvania
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Hartford to Binghamton, carrying a load of various equipments. En route, one of the engine failed and the pilot was unable to maintain a safe altitude. At an altitude of 2,000 feet, the mechanic bailed out when the airplane dove into the ground and crashed onto a house located in Scranton. Both pilots were killed as well as a boy on the ground.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Lockheed C-130B Hercules in Pleiku: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
61-0972
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Saigon – Pleiku
MSN:
3669
YOM:
1962
Location:
Pleiku
Gia Lai Province
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
On final approach to Pleiku Airport, at an altitude of 1,200 feet, the airplane was hit by enemy fire and crashed about 5 km from the airfield. All five crew members were killed. The airplane was performing a flight from Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, carrying a load of 30,000 pounds of detonators.
Crew (463 TCW Mactan, Philippines):
Cpt Richard Joseph Callanan,
Cpt Lee Christopher Dixon,
1st Lt Jon Alfred Greenley,
S/Sgt James Robert Lute,
A2C Lowell Franklin White.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123B-18-FA Provider at Tánh Linh AFB

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1966 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-123 Provider
Operator:
Registration:
56-4369
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
20253
YOM:
1956
Location:
Tánh Linh AFB
Bình Thuận Province
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following a flare-dropping mission, the crew was returning to Tánh Linh Airbase when an engine failed on landing. The airplane went out of control and crashed. All five crew members were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure on landing.

Crash of a De Havilland CV-2B Caribou off Roosevelt Roads NAS

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1965
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou
Operator:
Registration:
62-4152
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Roosevelt Roads - Roosevelt Roads
MSN:
88
YOM:
1963
Location:
Roosevelt Roads NAS (Ceiba)
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 13 km off Roosevelt Roads NAS while conducting a local training mission. The exact date of the occurrence (crashed somewhere in 1965) as well as the crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Douglas AC-47D Spooky in Ban Salou: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1965 at 1050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
45-1120
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Đà Nẵng - Đà Nẵng
MSN:
17123/34390
YOM:
1945
Flight number:
Spooky 21
Location:
Ban Salou
Khammouan Province
Country:
Laos
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
A few hours before the Christmas bombing halt was due to come into effect, an AC-47 gunship took off from Đà Nẵng for a daylight mission over southern Laos looking for targets of opportunity. When the aircraft was a few miles south of Ban Bac, a mayday call from Spooky 21 was heard by other aircraft in the area but there was no further radio contact with the gunship. Some debris were found in 1995 and some human remains in 2010.
Crew:
Maj Derrell Blackburn Jeffords,
1st Lt Dennis Lee Eilers,
Maj Joseph Christiano,
M/Sgt Larry C. Thornton,
T/Sgt William Kevin Colwell,
S/Sgt Arden Keith Hassenger.
Source: Chris Hobson

Crash of a Lockheed C-130E Hercules in Tuy Hòa: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1965
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
Operator:
Registration:
62-1843
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Nha Trang – Tuy Hòa
MSN:
3123
YOM:
1957
Location:
Tuy Hòa
Phú Yên Province
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft was attempting to land at Tuy Hòa Airport under a very low cloud base when it was hit by ground fire 8 km south of the airbase and crashed killing all five crew members. The airplane, based at Nha Trang, was bringing in a load of 13 tons of aviation fuel and it was 1st Lt Smith's first mission as aircraft commander. Enemy action was never actually confirmed to have caused the loss of this aircraft which may simply have flown into high ground in poor visibility. For some reason the remains of 1st Lt Wax were not recovered and identified until December 1996.
Crew:
1st Lt Donald Clayton Smith,
1st David J. Wax,
Cpt Terry Fisher Katterhenry,
T/Sgt William Henry Crisp,
A1C Willie Mitchell.
Source: Chris Hobson
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