Crash of a Rockwell Commander 680E near Lake Hughes: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1968 at 1723 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N6243B
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While completing a regional executive flight, the pilot encountered technical problems en route and elected to make an emergency landing. While flying over mountainous terrain, he attempted a wheels-up landing on a hillside when the airplane crashed. The burned wreckage was found a day later and the pilote, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
Improper operation of powerplant on part of the pilot. Conditions conducive to carburetor/induction systems icing.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas TB-26B Invader at Apiay AFB: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1968 at 0950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FAC-2515
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Apiay - Apiay
MSN:
7163
YOM:
1941
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While performing a local training flight at Apiay AFB, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances, killing both pilots.

Crash of an Ilyushin II-18D near Parchum: 83 killed

Date & Time: Feb 29, 1968 at 2243 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-74252
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow - Krasnoyarsk - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
MSN:
187 0106 01
YOM:
1967
Flight number:
SU015
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
75
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
83
Aircraft flight hours:
328
Aircraft flight cycles:
89
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 8,000 metres on the leg from Krasnoyarsk to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the crew sent a short inaudible message of two seconds. Shortly later, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and reached the vertical speed of 3,360 - 11,000 feet per minute. Once the altitude of 3,000 meters was reached on descent, the vertical speed increased from 9,850 to 24,600 feet per minute. The airplane then made a turn to the right, got inverted and partially disintegrated at an altitude of 650 meters. Debris crashed at a speed of 890 km/h in an uninhabited area located 13 km northeast of Parchum. Debris scattered on a large zone and miraculously, a passenger was found alive while 83 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. However, the assumption that the loss of control was caused by the failure of a fuel line was not ruled out. This may cause the fuel to leak into the engine and to ignite while in contact with high temperature equipments.

Crash of a Boeing B-52F-70-BW Stratofortress off Matagorda Island: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 29, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
57-0173
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Carswell - Carswell
MSN:
464162
YOM:
1957
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew departed Carswell AFB on a routine training mission over the Gulf of Mexico. En route, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea few dozen miles off Matagorda Island. Few debris were found some days later but no trace of the eight crew members who were probably killed upon impact.
Crew:
Maj Frank M. Salavarria, pilot,
Lt William T. Causey, copilot,
Cpt Charles W. Roberts, radio navigator,
M/Sgt Kermit C. Casey, air gunner,
Lt Michael L. Carroll, navigator,
Cpt John T. Pantilla, EWO,
Cpt Thomas D. Childs,
Maj Phillip F. Strine.
Probable cause:
Due to the lack of evidences, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the assumption that the loss of control may have been the consequence of a stab trim issue caused by an electric bus failure was not ruled out.

Crash of a Lockheed OP-2E Neptune near Ban Karai Pass: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
131484
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Nakhon Phanom - Nakhon Phanom
MSN:
426-5365
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed Nakhon Phanom Airport on a supply mission consisting of sensors dropping. While flying at low height, the airplane was struck by enemy fire. Seven occupants bailed out before the aircraft crashed in flames in a dense wooded area. Both pilots were killed while seven other occupants were evacuated five hours later.
Those killed were:
Cdr Paul Lloyd Milius,
P02 John Francis Hartzheim.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 near Ban Napa: 37 killed

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
XW-TAD
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Luang Namtha – Sayaboury – Vientiane
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
34
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
37
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a flight from Luang Namtha to Vientiane with an intermediate stop in Sayaboury. On the first leg, the airplane went out of control and crashed on the slope of a mountain located in the region of Ban Napa. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 37 occupants were killed, among them several tourists and two French citizens.
Probable cause:
It is believed the loss of control was the consequence of an engine failure.

Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 560 near Park City

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1968 at 1430 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N2784B
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
560-284
YOM:
1956
Location:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2385
Captain / Total hours on type:
86.00
Circumstances:
While performing a cargo flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The captain decided to make a 180 turn to gain height when the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Park City. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and both occupants were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew continued under VFR mode into adverse weather conditions. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to fog, rain and snow.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver near Ocaña: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1968 at 0850 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HK-559
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
1554
YOM:
1964
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Curumaní at 0649LT on a taxi flight to Cucutá. Two hours later, the pilot declared an emergency when the airplane crashed in the region of Ocaña. All five occupants were killed. The registration is not confirmed.

Crash of a Lockheed OP-2E Neptune near Muang Phine: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
131486
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Nakhon Phanom - Nakhon Phanom
MSN:
426-5367
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew departed Nakhon Phanom Airport and was supposed to deliver sensors near Ban Namm, some 48 km west of the DMZ. While cruising at low height, the airplane was hit by small arms fire and the crew reported the explosion of the right engine. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed in the jungle. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cdr Glenn Miller Hayden,
Lt Curtis Frank Thurman,
Lt(jg) James Stephen Kravitz,
Ens James Charles Wonn,
ATN1 Paul Nicholas Donato,
A02 Clayborn Willis Ashby,
ADJ2 Chester Leroy Coons,
AN Frank Arthur Dawson,
AN James Edward Martin.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Douglas AC-47D Spooky near Phan Rang: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1968
Operator:
Registration:
43-49859
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
15675/27120
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While conducting a night supply mission, the airplane was hit by enemy fire and crashed in flames 8 km south of Phan Rang Airbase. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Col Karl Merritt Waldron,
Cpt Edward Beeding Quill,
Cpt Thomas Joseph Margle,
S/Sgt Warren Mitchell Dixon,
S/Sgt Robert Kiyoshi Kawamura,
S/Sgt Roger Gail Lee,
Sgt James Harvey Bennett,
Sgt Brent Tosh.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.