What happened
During the final approach phase of flight into Saigon Airport, a C-123 transport aircraft was struck by enemy fire. The impact caused the aircraft to crash a few kilometers short of the runway. The accident resulted in a total of 16 fatalities, with no survivors reported among the crew or occupants.
The aircraft was engaged in a highly classified mission for the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observation Group (MACV-SOG), a joint-service task force responsible for unconventional warfare operations across Southeast Asia. To maintain secrecy during these operations, the aircraft featured a specialized camouflage pattern consisting of low-reflectivity black, green, and brown paint, rather than standard military markings.
Findings
The destruction of the aircraft was directly caused by enemy ground fire hitting the plane while it was on approach to the airfield. The aircraft had been specifically modified for its mission profile, featuring pylons attached to the airframe. Additionally, the aircraft and its personnel had undergone sanitization processes to ensure that all identifying nationality or individual information was removed to protect the sensitive nature of the MACV-SOG operations.