What happened
While performing a transport mission from Huế to Khe Sanh, an aircraft carrying various supplies and personnel was involved in a fatal accident. The flight was transporting spare parts along with a group of soldiers and a civilian passenger. During the approach phase of the flight, the crew initiated a go-around procedure because another light aircraft was still positioned on the runway.
Shortly after this maneuver, the plane came under fire from ground-based weapons. The impact caused the left engine to ignite, leading to an uncontrollable situation. The aircraft subsequently crashed into a heavily forested area situated approximately 2 km from the airfield. The accident resulted in 50 fatalities, comprising 44 soldiers, 5 crew members, and one civilian photographer.
Findings
Investigation of the crash site determined that the primary factor leading to the destruction of the aircraft was enemy ground fire which ignited the engine.