ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 56217
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 May 1975 |
| Time: | 20:45 LT |
| Type: |  Sikorsky CH-53C Sea Stallion |
| Owner/operator: | United States Air Force (USAF) |
| Registration: | 68-10933 |
| MSN: | 65-231 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 23 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Phannanikhom District, 35 miles W of Nakhon Phanom -
 Thailand
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
13 May 1975, callsign "Knife 13": CH-53 68-10933 departed from Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base with a crew of five and 18 USAF Security Police onboard to assist in the recovery operation of the SS Mayaguez.
On May 13, 1975 at 2030 local time, 16 Sikorsky CH-53Cs took off from RTAFB Nakhon Phanom. Shortly after take off, one of the helicopters, Serial Number 68-10933 from the 21st SOS, 56th SPS, fell out of formation, crashed and exploded on impact. All 23 aboard, including four crew, 18 USAF security police and one crew chief, were killed in the crash. Other CH-53s landed nearby, but exploding ammunition and burning fuel hindered all rescue attempts.
One main rotor blade had separated from rotor head.
The CH-53 crashed in the Phannanikhom District, 35 miles west of Nakhon Phanom. Officially, the CH-53C was on a routine training mission, but all 23 killed in the crash were awarded the Bronze Star posthumously.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_Special_Operations_Squadron
http://vdha.us/stuff/contentmgr/files/23c17865c4bc7009834cd371f0703d37/docs/nkp_crash_victims.pdf
Hamburger Abendblatt 14.5.1975, p1
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Jan-2012 13:31 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Nov-2012 05:20 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jan-2013 13:18 | TB | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source] |
| 21-Aug-2013 16:17 | Uli Elch | Updated [Cn] |
| 21-Aug-2013 16:21 | Uli Elch | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-Apr-2019 15:41 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 11-May-2019 09:13 | Anon. | Updated [Photo] |
| 18-Sep-2019 09:31 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
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