On October 3, 1965, a Fairchild C-123 Provider (registration N5003X) operated by Air America was involved in an aviation accident near Long Tieng, Laos during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft entered a stall and lost control during a go-around maneuver initiated to avoid obstacles on the runway. 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 crashed short of the runway at Long Tieng Airport following an aborted landing attempt.
What happened
During the final approach phase to Long Tieng Airport, the pilot observed oil drums positioned on the runway surface. In response to this obstruction, the pilot initiated a go-around maneuver to avoid the runway debris. During this transition, the aircraft experienced a loss of control, resulting in an aerodynamic stall. The plane subsequently crashed before reaching the runway threshold.
Findings
The accident occurred during an attempted missed approach following the detection of runway obstructions.
The impact resulted in one fatality and two serious injuries among the crew members on board.
Probable cause
The aircraft entered a stall and lost control during a go-around maneuver initiated to avoid obstacles on the runway.