No fatalities

1968-05-29: De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou (62-4189) — United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) — Đắk Tô, Vietnam

Đắk Tô, VietnamLanding (descent or approach)

On May 29, 1968, a De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou (registration 62-4189) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Đắk Tô, Vietnam during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was shot down by enemy fire during its approach. 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 1781238721Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft crashed in flames short of the runway threshold at Đắk Tô Airfield after being struck by ground fire during its final approach.

What happened

During the final approach phase toward the runway threshold at Đắk Tô Airfield, the aircraft was struck by enemy fire. This impact caused the plane to enter a stall, leading to a crash in a field near the airfield. The resulting impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the airframe.

Despite the intensity of the flames and the destruction of the aircraft, all 30 occupants on board were successfully rescued from the wreckage. No fatalities were reported among the passengers or crew following the incident.

Findings

Investigations into the crash determined that the primary factor leading to the loss of control was the impact from enemy fire, which caused the aircraft to stall before it could reach the runway.

Probable cause

The aircraft was shot down by enemy fire during its approach.