Narrative:
The SC-47D operated on an intelligence flight from Vientiane, Laos, to Saigon, Vietnam. En route it was shot down by Pathet Lao AAA or small-arms fire.
Seven crew members were killed in the accident, one survived. He was captured by Pathet Lao and kept as a POW.
Loss of control
| Status: | |
| Date: | Thursday 23 March 1961 |
| Type: |  Douglas SC-47D (DC-3) |
| Operator: | United States Air Force - USAF |
| Registration: | 44-76330 |
| MSN: | 32662/15914 |
| First flight: | 1945 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 8 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 6,4 km (4 mls) NW Phon Savan ( Laos)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Vientiane-Wattay Airport (VTE/VLVT), Laos |
| Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN/VVTS), Vietnam |
The SC-47D operated on an intelligence flight from Vientiane, Laos, to Saigon, Vietnam. En route it was shot down by Pathet Lao AAA or small-arms fire.
Seven crew members were killed in the accident, one survived. He was captured by Pathet Lao and kept as a POW.
Classification:
Shot down from the groundLoss of control
Sources:
» Vietnam Air Losses : United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fixed-wing aircraft losses in Southeast Asia 1961-1973 / Chris HobsonPhotos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Vientiane-Wattay Airport to Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport as the crow flies is 905 km (566 miles).
Distance from Vientiane-Wattay Airport to Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport as the crow flies is 905 km (566 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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