Mid Air Collision at Camp Evans RVN October 3, 1968


Probably one of the greatest fears in Vietnam was to die on the way home. 
 Time and again there were example after example of how you weren't 
really safe until you heard the wheels thump into the wheel wells of the 
DC-8 Freedom Bird taking us home.  What follows is our recollections of 
that day in 1968, the accident report and the list of all known KIAs from 
the National Archives for the First Cavalry Division.

It all started with:

Pat Murphy A/228, a CH-47 Chinook unit,

Do you or anyone else remember the mid-air between a Hook from A Co. 
228th, and a fixed wing carrying guys home?  Again, I don't remember the 
date, but I was washing my ship at Evans when I heard the crash.  All 
killed in both aircraft.  Real sad.


Official Accident Summary:

THE US AIR FORCE C7-A DEPARTED CAMP EVANS AIRFIELD FROM RUNWAY 
36. HIS LAST RADIO TRANSMISSION AFTER RECEIVING TOWER CLEARANCE 
WAS "ROLLING". THIS AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO BREAK RIGHT PRIOR TO 
REACHING THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE CONTINUED A CLIMBING TURN TO A 
HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 130 DEGREES. THE CH-47 HELICOPTER HAD 
DEPARTED LZ NANCY ONLY A FEW MINUTES BEFORE. IT WAS PROCEEDING 
SOUTH ALONG HIGHWAY QL-1, ON A HEADING OF 170 DEGREES, IN A 
SHALLOW DESCENT. THIS IS A SCHEDULED DAILY PASSENGER AND MAIL 
SHUTTLE AND WOULD HAVE ENTERED TRAFFIC ON A RIGHT BASE LEG FOR 
LANDING AT THE CAMP EVANS ASP PAD IS THE REGULAR STOP FOR THIS 
SHUTTLE AND IS LOCATED EAST OF THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 36, 
APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET SOUTH OF THE APPROACH END OF THAT RUNWAY. 
HE HAD NOT YET CALLED THE TOWER FOR CLEARANCE, THOUGH HIS UHF 
RADIO WAS ON TOWER FREQUENCY. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE CH-47 WAS 
CRUISING AT APPROXIMATELY 95 TO 100 KNOTS. THE C7A WITH CLIMB 
POWER, SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT ABOUT 105 KNOTS. THE TWO AIRCRAFT 
CONVERGED AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 1100 FEET AT A RELATIVE 
ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 40 DEGREES. THE COCKPIT SECTION OF THE 
C7-A CONTACTED THE REAR ROTOR OF THE HELICOPTER. THE C7-A HAD 
STARTED A RIGHT BANK, PROBABLY A LAST MINUTE ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE 
COLLISION. WHEN THE TWO AIRCRAFT COLLIDED, AT LEAST ONE OF THE 
HELICOPTER REAR ROTOR BLADES SLICED THRU THE COCKPIT SECTION OF 
THE AIRPLANE  ON AN ANGLE FROM THE TOP OF THE COPILOTS WINDSHIELD 
DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PILOTS WINDSHIELD, KILLING BOTH PILOTS 
INSTANTLY, AND DESTROYING ALL ENGINE CONTROLS. AT THE SAME TIME, 
ONE OF THE ROTOR BLADES, OR DEBRIS FROM THE COCKPIT STRUCK THE 
LEFT PROPELLOR OF THE C7-A. ONE OF THE BLADES WAS SEVERED FROM 
THE PROPELLER, AND PASSED THROUGH BOTH SIDES OF THE FUSELAGE OF 
THE AIRPLANE. THE LEFT PROPELLER THEN SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE 
AND FELL TO THE GROUND. THE C7-A MADE A STEEP DESCENDING RIGHT 
TURN AND STRUCK THE GROUND ON A HEADING OF 340 DEGREES. THE 
AIRCRAFT DISINTEGRATED, ALL PERSONNEL ABOARD PERISHED, THERE WAS 
NO FIRE. THE CH-47, AT THE MOMENT OF THE COLLISION LOST ALL OF 
ITS REAR MAIN ROTOR BLADES. ONCE THESE BLADES WERE BROKEN AND 
DISTORED BY THE COLLISION, THEY CHOPPED INTO THE TOP OF THE 
HELICOPTERS FUSELAGE BEFORE FINALLY SEPARATING FROM THE HUB. THEY 
DISLODGED TWO SECTIONS OF THE SYNCHRONIZER DRIVE SHAFT WHICH ALSO 
FELL TO THE GROUND. AT THIS TIME, NEITHER ROTOR SYSTEM COULD 
PROVIDE ANY THRUST, AND THE HELICOPTER BECAME A FREE FALLING 
BODY. WHILE IT WAS TUMBLING TO EARTH, THE REAR ROTOR MAST AND 
PYLON SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND LANDED 150 METERS SHORT OF 
THE FUSELAGE. THE FUSELAGE TUMBLED TO EARTH AND IMPACTED ON A 
HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES. IT LANDED ON ITS TOP LEFT 
SIDE IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, WITH NEAR ZERO FORWARD SPEED. IT 
EXPLODED ON IMPACT. TWO PERSONS FELL OUT OF THE HELICOPTER AS IT 
TUMBLED THRU THE AIR. THEY WERE FATALLY INJURED ON CONTACT WITH 
THE GROUND. THOSE REMAINING IN THE HELICOPTER DIED IN THE 
CRASH.\\


Information on U.S. Army helicopter        tail number 66-19041
Date: 681003 
Incident number: 681003141ACD Accident case number: 681003141 Total loss 
or fatality Accident
Unit: A/ 228 Combat Support Aviation Battalion  1st  Cavalry Division,  
Phu Bai             Province,
Number killed in accident: 11 Injured: 0 Passengers: 6
Crew Members:
AC W2  JOHNSON THOMAS EUGENE   		KIA      
 P W1  CONROY RONALD LEE             	KIA
FE E4 COSTLEY LARRY L			KIA
CE E4  PIERCE JERRY LEE JR           	KIA
 G E4  REESE DENNIS DEAN              	KIA

Passengers from the aircraft accident list are:
CPT ALDERSON THOMAS EARL,
SFC CLEMENTS DAWSON,
SSG YOUNG WILLIAM RANDOLPH,
PFC LUCIER JOHN WILLIAM,
SSG WALLACE CHARLES JAMES,
SP4 SEE MICHAEL DUANE,

CPT Thomas E. Alderson was not a member of the First Cav and not listed 
in the National Archives list of all known losses - 1st Cavarly Division





The National Archives list of all known losses in the 1st Cavalry 
Division on October 3, 1968 lists the following names.  Each name has a 
code beside it which designates whether they were on the CH-47 or the 
C-7A.   The military occupational specialty (MOS) is the numerical 
designation shown to the right of the name, i.e 11B20 is a lower ranking 
infantryman.   Need help with the MOSs not identified.

SFC Dawson Clement	31G40				CH-47
WO1 Ronald L. Conroy	062B   	CoPilot CH-47		CH-47
SP4 Larry L. Costley		67U20 CH-47 Crewmember	CH-47
SP4 Donald J. Cramer Jr.	05B20 Comm. Specialist	C-7A
SP4 David J. Dellangelo	11B20 	Infantryman		C-7A
SP5 David A. Disrud		44C20			C-7A
SP5 Allen E. Gomes		94B20 Cook		C-7A
SP5 Dale G. Granger		31E20			C-7A
PFC Joe J. Hibbler		11B20 Infantryman	C-7A
CW2 Thomas E. Johnson	062B	Pilot CH 47		CH-47
PFC John W. Lucier		71F20			CH-47
SP5 David B. Perreault	94B20 	Cook			C-7A
SP5 Jerry L. Pierce		67U20 CH 47 Crewmember	CH-47
SP4 Dennis D. Reese		67A1P OH-6 Crew Chief	CH-47 He was the 
gunner on the 47
SP4 Michael D. See		91B20	Medic		CH-47
PFC Robert D. Tomlinson	11B20	Infantryman		C-7A
SSG Charles J. Wallace	67Y40	AH-1G Maint NCO		CH-47
PFC Dennis A. Wirt		11B20	Infantryman	C-7A
SSG William R. Young	45B40				CH-47

From the United States Air Force in Southeast Asia-Tactical Airlift, page 
475:
	Prior to 1968, three serious operational problems defied 
effective solution, all requiring better coordination between the U.S. 
Army and the Air Force in the field.  First, flying officers of both 
services testified to the danger of midair collision near forward 
airstrips.  This was the result of uncontrolled flying, impcompatible 
radio equipment, and the absence of commonly accepted procedures for Army 
helicopter and Air Force transport operations at shared airheards.  A 
midair collision between a Caribou and a Chinook near Camp Evans on 
October 3, 1968, cost twenty five lives and tragically illustrated the 
problem.  Second, physical conditions at forward airstrips were sometimes 
unnecessarily dangerous.  Hazards included bunkers or other obstacles 
near runways and taxi areas, uncontrolled vehicle and pedestrian traffic 
and landing surfaces needing improvement.  Third, a better system for 
warning transport crews of firing by friendly artillery was needed.  The 
destruction of an Air Force Caribou by a 155MM shell while landing at Ha 
Thanh in August 1967 highlighted this problem.

SLONIKER NOTE:    I found the above incredulous.   The aircraft were ARMY 
aircraft until 1966 and worked perfectly in the Army environment from 
their intial deployment from Ft Benning in 1962 until their turnover to 
Air Force in 1966.  The radios and procedures worked fine when flown by 
Army crews.   The aircraft supported Special Forces camps with 
distinction, being the sole source of resupply for them.   Running into a 
Chinook on a severe clear day is a lack of crew coordination in the 
cockpit of the C-7A Caribou and nothing else. 
	 Secondly, I spoke to the battery commander of the battery that 
shot down the C-7A at Ha Thanh in 1967 while as a gunnery instructor at 
Ft Sill Okla in 1969.  The Air Force C-7A aircraft commander had been 
told twice the battery was in a contact fire mission and was firing 
continous fire for an Infantry company in close contact.   He flew in 
anyway, got the tail shot off and killed everyone on board the ship.
	Thirdly, in May 1968, I was on a C-7A that tore its wing off on 
landing at Dak Pek.  We all escaped without injury and only the ripped 
off wing burned. (Picture will be sent to Larry Russell for this page) 
Both pilots were Lt Cols who were former fighter pilots working in the 
Pentagon who were told to report to C-7 transition and to Vietnam.   Read 
no tactical airlift experience.
	The transfer of the Caribou to the Air Force will forever be a 
sore spot.  I was hoping the history will have more credibility.



Joe Potvin A/227 a UH-1H Huey unit

     I can't remember the exact date but in 68, sometime after TET at Hue 
and before we went into Khe Sahn there was a mid air collision between a 
C7-A and a Chinook just south of the perimeter of Camp Evans.( Sloniker 
note: It was 6 months after Khe Sahn-have discussed with Potvin)
     I was sitting in POL hot refueling and watched the C7-A take off to 
the North from the active runway. We were facing north so I lost sight of 
the fixed wing after it made a hard right break which I'm sure kept it 
either inside of or over HWY1. The Air Force jocks thought the Evans area 
was pretty dangerous so they max performanced takeoffs out of there to 
limit exposure.
     The next thing I knew was my crew chief was at my door telling me he 
had just watched the C7 run into a Chinook, at about the same time the 
tower frequency lit up with calls for assistance from any helicopters in 
the area.
     We buttoned up and headed for the crash sight, you could see smoke 
coming from the CH-47 crash site but the C7 was harder to find. I landed 
next to the C7 wreakage ( a polite term meaning big ass hole in the rice 
paddy )  and did a quick walk around with my crew chief. There wasn't a 
thing left. It was all buried in the rice paddy ( no standing water but 
still wet ). The biggest thing I saw was one of the mangled engines..
     Chief and I looked at each other, went back to aircraft and left the 
area. Not a pleasant sight. By that time many more troops were arriving 
and it was clear we were only in the way. I don't think any of us wanted 
to stay around and sift through the wreakage looking for parts.
     
Gene Lassiter C & HQ, 228, 68-69

 	I was already at Bn HQ when this happened. I remember Lt. Col. 
Paquette , who commanded from June to December 1968,  in a rage because 
the AF type who commanded the Caribou unit tried to blame the Hook for 
the crash. It turned out that the Caribou driver was horsing around and 
pulled a steep climb and turn immediately after take-off.   If I remember 
right, the blade of the Hook took out the cockpit of the Caribou and it 
was thought that the plane was otherwise flyable, but of course had no 
hands "at the wheel". I think there was a Longhorn on the Caribou going 
on R&R and his brother was at Evans watching the whole thing. I could be 
wrong about that. Still don't remember the date. The 228th flight surgeon 
was one of the first on the scene and I'll  never forget his face when he 
came back. We were all pretty sick.

Dave Greene B/227 

The mid-air between the hook and the caribou happened the day before Iwas 
to DEROS (from Evans to AnKhe).  I was watching the Caribou take off 
('cause I was to ride it the next afternoon), when it turned through the 
downwind leg of traffic.  It clipped the back rotor of the hook.  It lost 
about 15-20 feet of wing, but the rotors probably went through the 
cockpit too.  It pitched up to stall, then nosed over straight down.  The 
hook started to spin, throwing bodies out the back of the aircraft.  God, 
what a horrible sight.  I think 42 people were killed.  It was hard to 
get on that plane the next day!