What happened
During the initial climb phase of flight, an aircraft was struck by small arms fire while ascending to an altitude of approximately 500 feet. The impact caused the plane to lose control, leading to a crash into a nearby field near Sóc Trăng.
The incident involved a total of 30 people on board, consisting of both US and South-Vietnamese military personnel. The accident resulted in 30 fatalities and 14 injuries. The deceased included seven members of the flight crew and 23 passengers.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the primary reason for the loss of control and subsequent crash was that the aircraft was shot down by small arms fire during its departure from the airfield.