Criminal Occurrence description
Last updated: 18 May 2013
| Status: | |
| Date: | 12 MAY 1968 |
| Time: | ca 16:00 |
| Type: | Lockheed C-130B Hercules |
| Operator: | United States Air Force - USAF |
| Registration: | 60-0297 |
| C/n / msn: | 3600 |
| First flight: | 1961 |
| Engines: | 4 Allison T56-A-7 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 149 / Occupants: 149 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 155 / Occupants: 155 |
| Airplane damage: | Destroyed |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Kham Duc (Vietnam)
 |
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Kham Duc Airstrip, Vietnam |
| ? |
On 12 May 1968, shortly after 12:00 hours, the U.S. forces decided to immediately extract all personnel from the beleaguered Kham Duc camp, because the North Vietnamese Army had been attacking the camp for over a day. Hercules 60-0297 was called in to assist in getting as many of the civilians out of Kham Duc as possible. The Hercules took on as many passengers as it could at took off immediately, while under an intense enemy mortar and small arms attack. Apparently the Hercules was hit because eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft shake violently out of control, then turn and crash in an eruption of smoke and fire in a nearby ravine, approximately 1 mile from the end of the airstrip.
Events:
Sources:
» Task Force Omega Inc.
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com
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.
Vietnam