What happened
During a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission originating from Ubon Ratchathani Air Base in Thailand, an aircraft was engaged by enemy forces. The mission's objective was to target North Vietnamese Army units moving from Laos into South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. While performing a second low-altitude pass over the intended target area, the aircraft's number three engine was struck by a Strela SA-7 missile.
Following the impact, the aircraft became uncontrollable and crashed in flames within the A Shau Valley. The accident resulted in 12 fatalities among the crew members, while three survivors were successfully rescued from the site.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the destruction of the aircraft was caused by a surface-to-air missile strike during the low-altitude flight phase.