Incident Overview

Date: Friday 12 December 1969
Aircraft Type: Lockheed C-130A Hercules
Owner/operator: United States Air Force – USAF
Registration Number: 56-0499
Location: Bu Dop Special Forces Camp – ÿ Vietnam
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: Right wingRight wing
Category: Accident
A C-130 aircraft experienced a catastrophic landing following an explosion near its right wing during taxiing. The aircraft attempted to takeoff, but one engine failed, resulting in a slide into a minefield. A mine struck, causing the aircraft to split in half. Four fatalities were reported on the ground.A C-130 aircraft experienced a catastrophic landing following an explosion near its right wing during taxiing. The aircraft attempted to takeoff, but one engine failed, resulting in a slide into a minefield. A mine struck, causing the aircraft to split in half. Four fatalities were reported on the ground.

Description

While landing at Bu Dop, the C-130 had a recoilless rifle round explode near its right wing. It taxied to the cargo pad and unloaded its cargo of 105 artillery ammunition. It then taxied to the end of the runway and the aircraft attempted to takeoff with three engines. The right outboard engine was feathered. It reached an altitude of about 300 ft when the right inboard engine seized pulling the aircraft into the antitank mine field where it struck an antitank mine which blew the aircraft in half at the landing gear. The front portion of the aircraft slid just barely into the camp through the anti personnel mine field. Reportedly there were four fatalities on the ground: Cambodian strike force members of the 5th Special Forces III Mobile Strike Force.

Source of Information

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1857801156/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aviationsafetyne&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1857801156http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1857801156/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aviationsafetyne&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1857801156

Primary Cause

Explosion of a recoilless rifle round near the right wing during taxiing.Explosion of a recoilless rifle round near the right wing during taxiing.

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