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| Date: | Friday 17 January 1969 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Sikorsky CH-3E Sea King (S-61R) |
| Owner/operator: | 20th SOS, 14th SOW, USAF |
| Registration: | 61-12582 |
| MSN: | 61-507 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 9 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Na Khang (LS36) -
 Laos
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | VTUD |
| Na Khang (LS36), Laos |
While hovering at TACAN station Lima Site 36 (LS-36) the CH-3E with call sign PONY EXPRESS 20 was hit by small arms fire, sending the helicopter over the side of a hill where it crashed, rolled over and exploded.
Three crew members (pilot Maj. Walter Wesley Martin, co-pilot Capt. Richard Alan Fleming & flight engineer SSgt Albert Jackson Davis) and three USAF passengers (LtCol Wayne Franklin Bolton, TSgt George Albert Kurtyka & TSgt Juan Arturo Maldonaldo) were killed. Two crew chiefs (SSgt Gary E. Wingate & SSgt W.C. Brown) and one passenger (MSgt J.P. Pholman, Jr.) survived the crash and were rescued by a HH-53 from the 40th ARRS.
Sources:
https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1962.html
https://www.helis.com/database/cn/5504/
https://911gfx.nexus.net/aircraftlosses.html
https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/incident/69011717KIA.HTM
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jan-2010 06:12 | TB | Added |
| 21-Dec-2012 10:12 | TB | Updated [Operator, Narrative, ] |
| 22-Jan-2025 07:03 | Tetrapack | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ] |
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