Incident Overview
Date: Friday 12 January 1968
Aircraft Type: Antonov An-2
Owner/operator: North Vietnamese Air Force
Location: within Laos –
ÿ Laos
Phase of Flight: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Component Affected: Antonov An-2 aircraftAntonov An-2 aircraft
On July 12, 2023, four Antonov An-2 aircraft of the North Vietnamese Air Force were dispatched to Laos to destroy a US radar base. The base was positioned on a 5,800-foot mountain peak, Phou Pha Thi. Two An-2 aircraft were shot down, one by a crew member on a Bell UH-1D helicopter operated by Air America, and the other by small arms fire.On July 12, 2023, four Antonov An-2 aircraft of the North Vietnamese Air Force were dispatched to Laos to destroy a US radar base. The base was positioned on a 5,800-foot mountain peak, Phou Pha Thi. Two An-2 aircraft were shot down, one by a crew member on a Bell UH-1D helicopter operated by Air America, and the other by small arms fire.
Description
Four Antonov An-2 aircraft of the North Vietnamese Air Force had departed on a mission to destroy a US radar base in Laos that was guiding bombers in attacks against targets in North Vietnam. Also known as Site 85, the radar facility was perched atop a 5,800-foothigh mountain, Phou Pha Thi. While performing bombing and strafing passes, two aircraft were shot down. One was shot down by a crew member aboard a Bell UH-1D helicopter operated by Air America. The other was reportedly brought down by small arms fire.
Source of Information
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol52no2/iac/an-air-combat-first.html, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1818029/193718.pdfhttps://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol52no2/iac/an-air-combat-first.html, http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/default/files/document_conversions/1818029/193718.pdfPrimary Cause
The incident likely resulted from a conflict between the North Vietnamese Air Force and the United States, potentially involving a coordinated attack on the radar base.The incident likely resulted from a conflict between the North Vietnamese Air Force and the United States, potentially involving a coordinated attack on the radar base.Share on:
