Accident
While cruising at 9,000 feet on a flight from Saigon to Đà Nẵng, the right engine failed. The crew was unable to feather the propeller or maintain the assigned altitude, so the captain decided to divert to Buôn Ma Thuột Airport. During the descent, the airplane went out of control and crashed at an altitude of 700 meters on a plateau located 18 kilometers from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed.
Casualties
All 23 occupants were killed, among them two US civilians. The crew members were: Lt Col Howard Elmer Van Vliet, Lt Col Robert Brooks Richardson, Lt Col Council Lee Royal, Maj Gerald Eugene Burgener, Maj Basil Lincoln Ciriello, Maj Gerald Dean Ziehe, Cpt Gayland Omer Scott, M/Sgt William Parker Bowman, T/Sgt Donald William Bruck, T/Sgt Billy Day Morris, T/Sgt John Derral Thomas, and S/Sgt Eugene William Hendricks.
Probable Cause
The official findings state that the probable cause was engine failure for undetermined reason.