Date & Time:
Nov 27, 1970 at 1330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-123 Provider
Operator:
Registration:
55-4574
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Saigon - Nha Trang
MSN:
20235
YOM:
1955
Country:
Vietnam
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
73
Pax fatalities:
73
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
79
Circumstances:
While descending to Nha Trang Air Base on a flight from Saigon, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility and a low ceiling at 2,000 feet. On approach at an altitude of 4,600 feet, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the right wing struck trees. Out of control, the airplane crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the slope of a mountain, some 25 km southwest of the airport. Due to poor weather conditions and the fact that the aircraft crashed in an inaccessible area, the crash site was reached nine days later only. The wreckage was found about 150 feet below the summit and all 79 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, ceiling was broken at 2,000 feet and the horizontal visibility was estimated to 1,500 meters.
Crew:
1st Lt Marvin S. Arthington,
Maj Robert Lee Baker,
1st Lt Frederick M. Rader,
T/Sgt William Brandon O'Kieff,
Sgt Allen James Bodin,
A1c Frederick Richard Neff.
Crew:
1st Lt Marvin S. Arthington,
Maj Robert Lee Baker,
1st Lt Frederick M. Rader,
T/Sgt William Brandon O'Kieff,
Sgt Allen James Bodin,
A1c Frederick Richard Neff.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain.
