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| Date: | Monday 3 April 1972 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  North American Rockwell OV-10A Bronco |
| Owner/operator: | USAF - 23rd Tactical Air Support Squadron |
| Registration: | 68-3789 |
| MSN: | 321-115 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | nr Dong Ha -
 Vietnam
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
Nail 38 was one of the many aircraft involved in the search for Lt Col Hambleton. 1Lt Henderson and 1Lt Clark took over the watch from another Pave Nail FAC on the morning of the 3rd. The aircraft was orbiting near Dong Ha at 5,000 feet with a couple of A-1s when it was hit by a SAM fired from within the DMZ. Both crew ejected immediately and landed safely but were separated from each other. An immediate attempt at a rescue failed when a UH-1 and two escorting AH-1s received heavy ground fire as they approached the downed airmen. 1Lt Henderson was captured by NVA troops as night fell after hiding in a bamboo thicket for eight hours. 1Lt Clark landed on the banks of the Cam Lo River and hid for seven days before being rescued by the SEAL team led by Lt Norris. Lt Henderson was released on 27 March 1973 after spending just under a year as a POW.
Sources:
Scramble
Vietnam Air Losses website (www.vietnamairlosses.com)
USAF Aerospace Vehicle Inventory History reports
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Nov-2025 06:46 | phlamberts | Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Country, Source, Narrative, ] |
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