Crash of a Lockheed C-130E-I Hercules near Điện Biên Phủ: 11 killed

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
64-0547
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Nha Trang - Nha Trang
MSN:
4040
YOM:
1965
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
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

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-1-DK in Lai Châu: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1953
Registration:
F-VNAE
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Hanoi – Lai Châu
MSN:
14146/25591
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Crashed on approach to Lai Châu for unknown reason, killing all seven occupants.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-15-DK near Lai Châu: 18 killed

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1953
Operator:
Registration:
F-OAFR
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
15283/26728
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
While cruising, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a dense wooded area located near Lai Châu, killing all 18 occupants.
Probable cause:
According to the French-Indochina Authorities, the crash was caused by the explosion of a bomb.