ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed C-5A Galaxy 68-0218 Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)
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Status:
Date:Friday 4 April 1975
Time:16:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic C5 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Lockheed C-5A Galaxy
Operator:United States Air Force - USAF
Registration: 68-0218
MSN: 500-0021
First flight:
Engines: 4 General Electric TF39
Crew:Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 29
Passengers:Fatalities: 127 / Occupants: 285
Total:Fatalities: 138 / Occupants: 314
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:4 km (2.5 mls) NE of Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) (   Vietnam)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Military
Departure airport:Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN/VVTS), Vietnam
Destination airport:Angeles City-Clark Air Base (CRK/RPMK), Philippines
Narrative:
The Lockheed C-5A Galaxy (68-0218) was engaged in Operation Babylift, a mission to bring Vietnamese orphans to the US in the few remaining days before the Republic of Vietnam fell. The C-5 departed Saigon-Tan Son Nhut Airport at 16:03. Twelve minutes after takeoff, after climbing through FL230, there was what seemed to be an explosion as the lower rear fuselage was torn apart. The locks of the rear loading ramp had failed, causing the door to open and separate. A rapid decompression occurred. Control and trim cables to the rudder and elevators were severed, leaving only one aileron and wing spoilers operating. Two of the four hydraulic systems were out. The crew wrestled at the controls, managing to keep control of the plane with changes in power settings by using the one working aileron and wing spoilers. The crew descended to an altitude of 4,000 feet on a heading of 310 degrees in preparation for landing on Tan Son Nhut's runway 25L. About halfway through a turn to final approach, the rate of descent increased rapidly to 4,000 feet per minute. Seeing they couldn't make the runway, full power was applied to bring the nose up. At 50 feet, the throttles where retarded to idle and the C-5 touched down in a rice paddy. Skidding about 1,000 feet, the aircraft again became airborne for a half mile before hitting a dike and breaking into four parts. The cargo compartment with 149 orphans and attendants was completely destroyed. Only three of 152 in the troop compartment perished. In total 138 of the 314 occupants died in the accident.

Classification:
Cargo door failure
Emergency landing

Sources:
» Air Force Investigation report
» Air Force Magazine, Aug. 1991


Photos

photo of Lockheed-C-5A-Galaxy-68-0218
accident date: 04-04-1975
type: Lockheed C-5A Galaxy
registration: 68-0218
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport to Angeles City-Clark Air Base as the crow flies is 1574 km (984 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

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.
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Lockheed C-5

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