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| Date: | Wednesday 2 February 1972 |
| Time: | |
| Type: | Douglas EB-66E Destroyer |
| Owner/operator: | 42nd TEWSqn USAF |
| Registration: | 54-540 |
| MSN: | 44840 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Nakhon Ratchasima Royal Thai Air Force Base - VTUN -
 Thailand
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Nakhon Ratchasima Royal Thai Air Force Base - VTUN |
Crashed on takeoff at Korat RTAFB on February 2 1972. Per eyewitness report:
"The runway at Korat RTAFB is well over 6,000 feet long and has a rather pronounced “hump” in it. It was impossible to see from one end of it to the other. When an aircraft took off it was out of sight for a few seconds as it went over the hump until it actually became airborne.
That day, EB-66C (No. 54-0540) became airborne for only a few short seconds. As it cleared the runway, power and control was lost and the aircraft crashed, wheels up, into the overrun area at the west end of the Korat runway. Its’ engine nacelles acting as giant scoops, scraping up grass and stones, sucking them into the engines. The aircraft came to rest on its’ belly with the engines acting like outriggers, holding it upright. Luckily, all 6 crew members escaped the crash unharmed.
We soon got the word at Heli Ops that the EB-66 had crashed and that all aircraft were grounded, including the helicopter. Fuel contamination or sabotage was suspected and had to be checked out. An hour passed and we were cleared to fly"
Sources:
http://www.usafcombatcamera.org/our-stories/southeast-asia/a-bizarre-day-at-korat-rtafb-by-steve-hock/
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1954.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20111224222844/http://www.rushden.org:80/cott.html
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2011 01:01 | Uli Elch | Added |
| 13-Feb-2013 20:51 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-May-2021 10:32 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 06-Mar-2025 09:25 | Anon. | Updated [Category, ] |
| 06-Mar-2025 11:22 | Anon. | Updated [Location, Departure airport, ] |
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