Criminal Occurrence description
Last updated: 19 May 2013
| Status: | |
| Date: | 04 MAY 1968 |
| Type: | Douglas AC-47D Spooky |
| Operator: | United States Air Force - USAF |
| Registration: | 43-16159 |
| C/n / msn: | 20625 |
| First flight: | |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Pleiku Airport (PXU) (Vietnam)
 |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | ? |
| ? |
On May 4,1968, two Douglas AC-47D gunships, 43-16159 and 43-76207, departed Phu Cat to engage VC/NVA rocket and mortar sites that were firing on the Pleiku Air Base. Over target both aircraft were shot down within minutes of each other. All six on board 43-16159 were killed. Three crew members of 43-76207 were killed and five survived.
Sources:
» AC-47D Gunships Homepage > AC-47 Spooky Crew Losses
» the Virtual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall > Leslie Earl Harris, Jr
Photos
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.
