Accident Sequence
Shortly after departure from Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, while climbing, an engine failed and caught fire. The pilot lost control of the airplane, which then crashed in a huge explosion. At the time of the accident, the airplane was carrying a load of ammunition.
Occupants and Fatalities
The aircraft carried ten occupants. Six of them were killed: Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Richard Knapic, Major Moses Lopes Alves, Major Jerome James Rice, Captain John Hooper V. Hathaway, Staff Sergeant Ellsworth Smith Bradford, and Staff Sergeant Abraham Lincoln Moore. The other four occupants survived.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be an engine failure at takeoff for an undetermined reason.