ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 148045
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| Date: | Wednesday 9 December 1964 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  North American RA-5C Vigilante |
| Owner/operator: | United States Navy (USN) |
| Registration: | 149306 |
| MSN: | NA269-41 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | within SVN -
 Vietnam
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | USS Ranger |
Disappeared after navigational error during routine training mission from carrier. Wreckage with two bodies located in rugged wooded terrain in South Vietnam 23 JAN 65. Lt Cmdr Donald W. Beard and Lt (jg) Brian Cronin.
RVAH-5 (first Vigilante squadron deployed in Vietnam conflict). First Vigilante loss of Vietnam War. First loss off of USS Ranger of Vietnam War. Non-combat operational loss. Training flight. USS RANGER DECK LOG 9 December 1964: 2024 Hours: “RA-5C 149306 failed to return from a night photo training flight over South Vietnam. Commenced search for missing aircraft.” Approximate Location of USS Ranger was 15 49N 110 18E Per Air Rescue Reports (SAR) logs: wreck was tentatively found on December 14 by USMC O-1E Birddog at 15 20N 108 36E 50 miles SSE of Da Nang. “Located a large swath in the trees near the top of the mountain, and a large amount of debris on the other side.” “Extensive hostile activity in area and a large scale operation is needed to determine possibility of survivors. Enemy artillery unit located on ridge overlooking crash site. Enemy training camp close by. Three enemy battalions are believed to be in the area. Slope is steep and covered with jungle. No level helicopter landing areas.” The Vigilante’s last known radioed position was 15 23N 108 30E (7.5 miles NW of crash site). They confirmed it was the Vigilante wreckage on December 16 with recce photos. They were not able to recover remains and investigate it until 22 January 1965 with an ARVN battalion (258 ground troops to secure crash site long enough to make ID and recover remains). A US Army advisor and US Navy safety officer were lowered to the site by helicopter. Navy safety officer was pilot Lt Jim Pirotte. The deceased were delivered to Danang on Marine H-34. Still extensive enemy activity in area and cause of crash not stated. Killed in the crash were:
Beard, Donald W., LtCommander (Pilot, US Naval Academy)
Cronin, Brian J., Lt(jg) (Bombardier/Navigator)
LtCommander Beard was given burial at sea on USS Ranger in February of 1965. Unsure if Lt Cronin was also.
No mention of navigational error in official reports. Cause of accident was never determined. Could’ve been AAA/ground fire, mechanical or navigational. Appears to have been a routine reconnaissance sortie, per the Deck Log it was a “night photographic training flight”. At that time RVAH-5 was only permitted to sortie in South Vietnam. RF-8A Crusaders of VFP-63 Detachment Mike were tasked with the more dangerous missions up north. The “heavy” recon squadron was flying $14 million, advanced aircraft at that time and “light” recon drew the risky flights at first. But it is notable that the Battle of An Lão (December 7-9, 1964) was wrapping up just 55 miles south of the Vigilante’s crash site.
149306 was the CO’s bird and the first Vigilante produced as a pure RA-5C and not converted.
Sources:
The Victoria Advocat 24 January 1965, p9A
USS Ranger Deck Log
Air Rescue Reports
Location
Images:
USS Ranger Deck Log entry Time 2024 on 9 December 1964
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Aug-2012 08:30 | Uli Elch | Added |
| 10-Feb-2020 10:43 | Iwosh | Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator] |
| 14-Jan-2022 16:01 | TB | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 14-Jan-2022 16:02 | TB | Updated [Narrative] |
| 14-Jan-2022 16:04 | TB | Updated [Narrative] |
| 22-Nov-2023 10:47 | ChrisB | Updated [Country, Phase, Source, Narrative, Category, Photo] |
| 22-Nov-2023 10:47 | harro | Updated [Other fatalities, Country] |
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