No fatalities

B-52 Shot Down Over Hanoi During Linebacker II, Crew Taken Prisoner (55-0050)

Bạch Mai, VietnamFlight

On December 21, 1972, a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (registration 55-0050) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Bạch Mai, Vietnam in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Shot down by enemy fire. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A US bomber departed U-Tapao NAS for a Linebacker II mission over Vietnam. Struck by an SA-2 missile over Hanoi, it crashed in the Bạch Mai district. All six crew members were captured as prisoners of war.

Incident Overview

On a mission during the Linebacker II campaign, a US Air Force bomber departed U-Tapao Naval Air Station in Thailand with six crew members on board. While operating over Hanoi, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire, specifically an SA-2 surface-to-air missile. The plane lost control and crashed in the Bạch Mai district of Hanoi.

Crew Members

The six crew members aboard were:

  • Lieutenant Colonel John Harr Yuill, pilot
  • Captain David Ian Drummond, copilot
  • 1st Lieutenant William Thomas Mayall, navigator
  • Lieutenant Colonel William Walter Conlee, electronic warfare officer
  • Lieutenant Colonel Louis Henry Bernasconi, radio navigator
  • Master Sergeant Gary Lee Morgan, air gunner

All six crew members were taken as prisoners of war (PoW) following the crash.

Probable cause

Shot down by enemy fire.