What happened
During a radio intelligence operation conducted over the territory of Laos, an aircraft was targeted by enemy weapons fire. While the plane was maintaining a cruising altitude of 9,500 feet, it sustained damage that caused the left engine to ignite.
Despite the ongoing fire, the crew managed to navigate out of the active combat area. The flight proceeded toward South Vietnam, eventually reaching the Ben Het special forces camp. During the attempt to land at the facility, the aircraft underwent a crash landing. Although the impact resulted in the total destruction of the plane, all six crew members survived the incident without any injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the event determined that the primary reason for the engine fire and subsequent emergency descent was the impact of enemy fire on the aircraft's propulsion system.