What happened
During a mission involving the dispersal of defoliants, an aircraft was operating at a low altitude when it came under attack from ground-based enemy fire. The impact of the incoming rounds caused significant damage to the airframe while the crew was in flight.
Despite the damage sustained during the engagement, the crew managed to perform an emergency landing approximately 13 km west of Lai Khê. Although the aircraft was determined to be a total loss and was beyond repair, there were no fatalities among the personnel on board. All three crew members were successfully recovered by a helicopter rescue team roughly 25 minutes after the landing.
Findings
Investigations into the incident concluded that the primary reason for the aircraft's destruction was that it was struck by enemy fire while performing its low-level mission profile.