Incident
On a mission designated Linebacker II, a U.S. airplane with call sign Rose 01 departed U-Tapao NAS in Thailand carrying six crew members. While flying over Hanoi, the aircraft was struck by enemy fire from an SA-2 surface-to-air missile. The airplane lost altitude and crashed into Huu Tiep Lake, located in the center of Hanoi.
Crew and Casualties
The six crew members were identified as:
- Captain Hal K. Wilson, pilot
- Captain Charles Arthur Brown, copilot
- Captain Richard Waller Cooper, navigator
- Major Fernando Alexander, radio navigator (killed)
- Captain Henry Charles Barrows, electronic warfare officer
- Technical Sergeant Charlie Sherman Poole, air gunner (killed)
Two crew members were killed in the incident, while the other four were taken as prisoners of war.
Official Findings
The probable cause of the accident was determined by the investigation to be "Shot down by enemy fire."