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Aerial Attack Gunship Shot Down Near Pleiku (44-76207)

Pleiku, VietnamFlight

On May 5, 1968, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration 44-76207) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Pleiku, Vietnam in flight. 3 people were killed. 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 gunship was shot down by enemy fire near Pleiku during an aerial attack from Phù Cát. Six crew members survived, while three were killed, including Cpt Donald Lewis Merry and Maj Richard William Wackerfuss.

Incident Overview A gunship was engaged in an aerial attack from Phù Cát when it was shot down by enemy fire in the region of Pleiku. The incident resulted in the deaths of three crew members, while six others survived. ## Casualties The three crew members killed in the incident were Cpt Donald Lewis Merry and Maj Richard William Wackerfuss. The source lists these two individuals by name, with the third fatality not specified. ## Official Findings The official probable cause of the accident was determined to be that the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire. No further details regarding the specific aircraft type, registration, date, or operator were provided in the source material.

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