Narrative:
On 4 Novemeber 1969
WO1 Terry Alford, WO1 Jim Cavender, SP4 John Ware and SP4 James R. Klimo were
crewmembers aboard a UH-1H helicopter flying east from Duc Lap to Nha Trang
in deteriorating weather conditions. After making radio contact with air
traffic controllers at approximately 1920 HRS, a radio transmission from
this aircraft indicated that the aviators had become disoriented in the
clouds and were in an emergency situation. No further contacts were heard
and all SAR operations conducted were negative.
NOTE: The above
UTM and Geo Coordinates are based on the last known US loaction (last radio
transmission). Witness testimony from subsequent investigations place this
incident loss near Hon Mang Mountain (49P BP797784), within Khanh Hoa Province.
The actual crash site is probably in the vicinity of BP736768; the location
of the landing zone prepared in April 1996.
POST WAR SOURCES:
T85-226, 23 July
85, JCRC-LNB: Source provided hearsay information about a helicopter crashsite
in the Nha Trang area (No Further Information)that had reportedly been discovered
in 1969. Further, the witness' brother had reportedly recovered four sets
of remains from this site and was holding them near his home in Nha Trang.
AUG 93, JFA 25:
Team members investigate this case in Khanh Hoa Province. No witnesses to
this incident could be found, MRS. NGUYEN THI CUT provided second-hand hearsay
information about a person who allegedly held remains and a dogtag possibly
associated with this cas, but MRS. CUT's acquaintance (NFI) who knew the individual's
name was out of the area for several days.
19 May 1994, Ltr
from Garnett Bell to CILHI (Central Indentification Lab, Hawaii): Author provided
hearsay information of a helicopter crashsite near "Chu Knia Mountain" in
the vicinity of BP 4779. He also claimed to possess remains and artifacts
from this site and offered to forward them to CILHI.
A photograph of
an unidentified POW (#111) thought to possibly be of SP4 Klimo, was later
identified as Charles Jackson, Captain, USAF by Jackson himself and his cellmate,
Thomas J. Hanton, Captain, USAF.
FEB 94, JFA 28:
Team members returned to Khanh Hoa Province and reinterviewed MRS, Cut who
introduced MR. PHAM NGOC CHAU to investigators. MR. CHAU provided hearsay
information regarding the recovery of remains and a dog tag allegedly taken
from the crashsite of an "A37". The team also attempted to interview MR. Y
SON, the person MR. CHAU identified as the one who discovered these artifacts,
but MR. SON was unavailable during the teams' visit.
JUN 94, JFA 30:
Team members investigated this case in Dac Lac province. They were successful
in locating MR. Y SON, who stated that in 1985 that he had come across a crashsite
but had not removed any artifacts. MR. Son led team members to this site
(BP 702888), but it turned out to be a VNAF 0-1E loss. MR. SON also identified
another witness having knowledge of a different crashsite in the area, MR.
MA LUC. MR. LUC led the joint team to a site at BP 706888, which correlated
to a VNAF L-19. Finally, the tentative last known location (BP 702890) was
searched with negative results.
NOV 95, JFA 38:
Team attempted to interview MR. Thanh, but found that he was resttled in the
US; with no forwarding address.
NOTE: A source interviewed
in July 1985 said that MR. THANH discovered a helicopter crashsite and 4
sets of remains in 1969.
APR 96, JFA 40:
Purpose of this investigation was to canvass residents (5 x total interviewed)
of the villages near BP 9085, to gather information about aircraft losses
in the area, and to conduct a survey of the last known location at BP 702890
of RENFO 1515. NOTE A survey was already done, see V30 above.
The joint team first
travelled to Nihn Hoa Township, Khanh Hoa Province and interviewed on witness,
MR. LE SI DUNG. MR. DUNG knew about a helicopter crashsite near a stream
near Hon Mang Mountain (BP 797784) but could not lead the team there because
of his asthma.
The VNOSMP team
then went to Ca Hong Hamlet, Khanh Binh Village, Khanh Vinh District, Khanh
Hoa Province and met MR. BO BO CHIA. MR. CHIA agreed to lead workers to an
area near the site to help prepare a landing zone (at 49P BP 736768) for
the Joint Team members. According to the VNOSMP, the LZ is approximately
200M from the crashsite. The Joint Team did not survey the alleged crashsite
because of time constraints.
OTHER INFO: Based
upon witness and advance VNOSMP team statements, team members determined that
there is no crashsite at the US last known location (BP 702890), nor was
there as crashsite located near the position of last radio transmission-at
49P BP9085. Team also attempted to find MR. THANH again, without success.
(JFA 38 determined Thanh was in US...)
NOTE: A computer
database search of a 15km area around Hon Mang Mountain (BP 797784) indicates
four UH-1 Operational Losses, one VNAF UH-! loss, the UH-1H associated with
REFNO 1515, and a UH-1H associated with a resolved case. Four witnesses
confirmed that no aircraft crashed near BP9085.
NOV 96, JFA 43:
Team members investigated this case in Krong Bong district, Dak Lak Province
(near Chu Knia Mountain in the vicinity of BP4779) They interviewed three
witnesses who provided information on a fixed wing aircraft crashsite near
Cu Pui Village, which does not correlate to this case.
NOTE: This investigation
was conducted based on a lead provided by MR. GARNETT BELL on 19 May 1994
(see USG section above).
MAR 98, JFA 49:
Joint Team interviewed two witnesses (MR. LE QUOC TRUNG and MR. BO BO CHIA)
concerning a crashsite near Khanh Vinh District. Following the interviews
the team surveyed crashsite at BP 7300876343 and found data plates that belong
to a UH-1 helicopter.
NOTE: Analysis of
material found indicates the items correlate to an UH-1 aircraft incident,
but they are insufficient to establish a correlation with REFNO 1515. There
were five UH-1 crashes within 15km during the war.
FUTURE PURSUIT
INFORMATION
Narrative: US RESEARCH
(DPMO): Find MR. THANH in US and interview him. (MR. THANH was mentioned
in a July 1985 report.[see USG info above]In 1969, he reportedly discovered
helicopter wreckage/remains in Nha Trang area)
JOINT INVESTIGATE:
Need to go back to V49 site with metal detector to obtain more wreckage that
will identify specific UH-1 helicopter.
CASE MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION
ANALYST NOTES: During
V49, MR. LE QUOC TRUNG, while at survey site BP 7300876343, said this is
not the site he had visited with his brother (LE SI DUNG, see V40). He pointed
east and indicated the site he told IE2 about is on the reverse side of the
mountain across the valley, vicinity BP7775. He recalls at this site that
he saw small unidentifiable burnt pieces of wreckage, a pair of torn leather
boots, and a 30X60cm stripped engine block, with holes in a straight line
where the pistons would have been. The site he recalls is 15X20 sqm and was
surrounded by trees. MR. TRUNG agreed to take a Joint Team to this location.
NOTE: Based on general
location and witness describing that he found an in-line piston engine,
site may correlate to an O-2 operational loss 3km south of Hon Mang Mountain,
the general location witness pointed to. MAY BE WORTH CHECKING OUT!
END OF REPORT
WO Alford was returning
to his base at Nha Trang from Duc Lap at about 1920 hours when he made his
last known radio contact with the 48th Aviation Company Operations at Ninh
Hoa. Either the pilot or aircraft commander gave his approximate location
as Duc My Pass, and stated he was in the clouds and instrument meteorological
conditions (IMC). Shortly afterwards, the controller at Ninh Hoa heard a radio
transmission that WO1 Alford was in trouble. The pilot reported, inexplicably,
that the helicopter was flying upside down.