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| Date: | Sunday 19 January 1969 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Sikorsky CH-3E Sea King (S-61R) |
| Owner/operator: | 21st SOS, 56th SOW, USAF |
| Registration: | 63-9689 |
| MSN: | 61-521 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand -
 Thailand
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Nakhon Phanom RTAFB (VTUW), Thailand |
| Nakhon Phanom RTAFB (VTUW), Thailand |
The CH-3E with call sign KNIFE 32 was investigating a fire near its base that had started after a A-26 aircraft jettisoned its bombs. During landing at night the co-pilot suffered vertigo, the helicopter settled into the trees and caught fire. One Thai guard was killed in the crash.
The pilot Capt. Phillip J. Conran, co-pilot Capt. Tryon S. Lindabury, Jr., flight engineer TSgt James J. Clouse and air gunner Sgt Bill Sawyer survived. Clouse received the Airmans Medal for rushing back into the burning helicopter to rescue two other men, despite burns to himself. The four crewmen and four passengers (TSgt James L. Bell, Sgt Richard Matthews, A1C Terry C. Mayo & A1C George Mequillian) were rescued by a HH-3E of 40th ARRS.
Sources:
https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1963.html
https://www.helis.com/database/cn/6476/
https://911gfx.nexus.net/aircraftlosses.html
https://usafrotorheads.com/helo-timeline/
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jan-2010 06:13 | TB | Added |
| 21-Dec-2012 10:13 | TB | Updated [Operator, Narrative, ] |
| 24-Jan-2025 06:44 | Tetrapack | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Mar-2025 09:06 | Anon. | Updated [Category, ] |
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