On November 18, 1965, a Fairchild C-123 Provider (registration 538) operated by Air America was involved in an aviation accident near Sayaboury, Laos during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft entered a stall state immediately upon liftoff, leading to a loss of control and a heavy landing. 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.
An aircraft experienced a stall immediately following liftoff, leading to a hard landing and subsequent loss of control.
What happened
During the initial climb phase of flight, the aircraft experienced an aerodynamic stall at the moment of liftoff. This loss of lift caused the plane to impact the ground with significant force. Following this heavy landing, the pilot lost control of the vehicle, and the aircraft eventually came to a complete stop.
While there were no reported fatalities, the incident resulted in several injuries among the passengers on board. The structural damage sustained during the uncontrolled descent was severe enough that the aircraft was declared a total loss.
Findings
The primary factor in the accident was an aerodynamic stall occurring at the transition from ground roll to flight.
The impact with the terrain was characterized by a hard landing following the loss of lift.
Probable cause
The aircraft entered a stall state immediately upon liftoff, leading to a loss of control and a heavy landing.