What happened
During a specialized mission involving the deployment of acoustic buoys, an aircraft operating over the Ho Chi Minh Trail vanished from radar and radio communications. The final transmission from the flight was logged at 0957 local time, after which all contact with the crew ceased.
Following the disappearance, search and rescue operations were initiated to locate the missing plane. It took twelve days for investigators to locate the debris field. The wreckage was discovered situated on the northern side of a cliff, positioned approximately 150 feet below a ridge line that reaches an elevation of 4,583 feet.
Findings
There were nine fatalities among the crew members during this incident. The investigation into the crash site confirmed that the aircraft was lost during its operational mission over the specified terrain.