What happened
A mission transporting personnel from An Khe to Bong Son ended in a fatal crash shortly after takeoff. The flight was carrying a crew of four along with 42 troops from the 1st Air Cavalry Division as part of Operation Masher. During the ascent, the aircraft struggled to maintain altitude. Approximately ten minutes into the flight, while flying through cloud cover, the right wing made contact with trees. The impact caused the right engine and a six-meter section of the right wing to be severed from the airframe. The uncontrolled aircraft subsequently crashed in a forested region situated 10 km from An Khe, resulting in 46 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the right engine experienced a failure during the climb phase. This failure was likely triggered by the ignition of a magnesium concentration, which caused extensive damage to both the carburetor and the engine nacelle. Records indicated that the crew had dealt with technical malfunctions involving the right engine on two occasions prior to this departure. Several contributing factors were noted, including inadequate maintenance practices and adverse weather conditions characterized by low clouds at 300 feet and restricted visibility. Ultimately, the crew attempted to operate under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) despite the unsuitable weather conditions.