Date:	Thursday 29 April 1965
Time:
Type:	McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo
Owner/operator:	United States Air Force (USAF)
Registration:	56-0190
MSN:	186
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Sam Neua -   Laos
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Udorn RTAFB
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Two RF-101Cs of the 15th TRS/18th TRW, led by Capt. Charles Shelton, departed Udorn RTAFB for a photo reconnaissance mission over northern Laos. Due to bad weather over the primary target, the flight proceeded to a secondary target near Sam Neua, the location of Pathet Lao HQ. Nearing the target, automatic ground fire struck Capt. Shelton’s Voodoo, setting the fuel tanks on fire and forcing him to eject. The pilot was seen on the ground and was in radio contact with other aircraft. All efforts to rescue the pilot over three days were thwarted by poor weather. Capt Shelton had been captured by the Pathet Lao after three days in hiding and was said to have been kept in caves for the next three and a half years. There are stories of escape and rescue attempts, but he was never seen again by US forces. Captain Charles Ervin Shelton was declared MIA – Presumptive Finding of Death, and promoted to the rank of Colonel.

RF-101 Voodoo Units in Combat: Peter E. Davies (Pg 68)
Voodoo Warriors: The Story of the McDonnell Voodoo Fast-Jets, Nigel Walpole (Pg 257)
Tactical Reconnaissance in the Cold War: Doug Gordon (Pg 330)
https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=125
https://media.defense.gov/2011/Mar/23/2001330100/-1/-1/0/AFD-110323-013.pdf (Pg 87 & 166)
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KYOmEAO

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Mar-2013 16:06	Uli Elch	Added
28-Mar-2013 16:12	Uli Elch	Updated [Date, Registration, Total fatalities, Location, Country, Narrative]
23-Nov-2020 08:33	Cosmo	Updated [Date, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
03-Jul-2021 06:08	Cosmo	Updated [Source, Narrative]