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| Date: | Saturday 24 October 1970 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Sikorsky CH-3E Sea King (S-61R) |
| Owner/operator: | 21st SOS, 56th SOW, USAF |
| Registration: | 66-13287 |
| MSN: | 61-585 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 15 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Mu Gia Pass, Laos -
 Laos
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Nakhon Phanom RTAFB (VTUW), Thailand |
| Mu Gia Pass, Laos |
The CH-3E with call sign KNIFE 33 was in a flight of two to extract a patrol of the Laotian Army from a hill top landing zone near Mu Gia Pass in Laos. After picking up 11 soldiers the helicopter lifted off, but for unknown reasons suddenly turned and crashed into trees 200 meters away. Shortly afterwards the other CH-3E with call sign KNIFE 34 took 8 Laotian soldiers aboard, who said that there were no survivors from the crash.
However, 20 minutes later, radio contact was made with survivors and a HH-53B of 40th ARRS sent to the crash site. They discovered that the pilot Capt. Craig Brian Schiele, flight engineer MSgt Thomas Edward Heideman and two Laotian soldiers were killed and rescued the co-pilot Maj. Ronald R. Kunz, flight engineer SSgt Wallace Spivey, Jr. and the surviving passengers.
Sources:
https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1966.html
https://www.helis.com/database/cn/23656/
https://911gfx.nexus.net/aircraftlosses.html
https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/incident/70102424KIA.HTM
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Jan-2010 11:17 | TB | Added |
| 21-Dec-2012 10:23 | TB | Updated [Operator, Narrative, ] |
| 15-Feb-2025 11:59 | Tetrapack | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ] |
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