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indicated the initial maintenance inspection noticed five of the seven locks were not operating and failed the aircraft for flight. With external organizational pressure to get the flight airborne, a second off-shift maintenance team was called in. They subsequently missed the locks during inspection and the unairworthy aircraft was cleared for flight. Furthermore, the flight crew confirmed that they had encountered difficulty closing the doors before take-off. As the air pressure differential increased with altitude, the few locks that were working correctly were unable to bear the load, and the door failed.
358:(460 to 480 km/h). They were able to bring the plane to 4,000 ft (1,220 m) and begin the approach to Tan Son Nhut's runway 25L. While turning on final approach, the plane's descent rate suddenly began to increase rapidly. The crew increased power to the engines in an attempt to arrest the descent, but despite their efforts, the plane touched down at 4:45 p.m. in a rice paddy, and skidded for a quarter of a mile (400 m), became airborne again for another half-mile (800 m), crossing the
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When the rear doors were eventually recovered from the sea, investigations determined that some of the locks had not engaged properly. Maintenance records showed that locks had been cannibalized for spares then subsequently improperly refitted, degrading their performance significantly. Accounts also
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Survivors struggled to extricate themselves from the wreckage. The crash site was in a muddy rice paddy near the Saigon River, one mile (1.6 km) from the nearest road. Most of the survivors were in the upper deck, while most of the people in the lower deck were killed. Fire engines could not
331:, temporarily filling the cabin with a whirlwind of fog and debris. The blowout severed control cables to the tail, causing two of four hydraulic systems to fail, including those for the rudder and elevator, and leaving the flight control with only the use of one
399:
called for a grounding of C-5s. In the end, the fleet was put under severe operational restrictions for several months while the cause was established. The U.S. Air Force
Accident Investigation Board attributed the survival of any on board to Captain
374:
employees and 11 U.S. Air Force personnel; there were 176 survivors. All of the surviving orphans were eventually flown to the United States. The dead orphans were cremated and were interred at the cemetery of the St. Nikolaus
Catholic Church in
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327:, South Vietnam, flying a heading of 136 degrees and climbing to an altitude of 23,000 ft (7,010 m). At that moment the locks on the rear loading ramp failed, causing the cargo door to open explosively. This caused
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The crash date is widely reported as 3 April, 4 April, and 5 April, however newspaper reports from 1975 reference a Friday afternoon crash (4 April) and an official military history dates the crash as 4
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Many of the components were looted from the crash site, thereby complicating the investigation; the U.S. Air Force paid a bounty for parts from the wreckage to recover them from the local populace. The
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and structural failure. The accident marked the second operational loss and first fatal crash for the C-5 Galaxy fleet, and is the third deadliest accident involving a U.S. military aircraft after the
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reach the site, and helicopters had to set down some distance from the wreckage. About 100 South
Vietnamese soldiers deployed around the site, which was near the site of an engagement with the
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Commander in Chief
Pacific Command History: Appendix III: Babylift, Carl O. Clever, CINCPAC Hawaii, 1976. The Vietnam Center and Archive, Item 2132501008, accessed 28 March 2010.
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s unorthodox use of power and his decision to crash land while the aircraft still allowed him some control. Captains
Traynor and Harp, who both survived, were awarded the
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Allen Engles, attempted to regain control of the airplane, and to perform a 180-degree turn in order to return to Tan Son Nhut. The aircraft began to exhibit
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for extraordinary valor. Thirty-seven medals were awarded to crew members or their next of kin. USAF Flight Nurse 1st
Lieutenant Regina Aune received the
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On the afternoon of Friday, 4 April 1975, a C-5A, AF Ser. No. 68-0218, making the first flight of
Operation Babylift, departed Tan Son Nhut Air Base for
908:
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Dennis "Bud" Traynor (aged 30 at the time of the incident); copilot, Captain
Tilford Harp (aged 28 at the time of the incident); and flight engineer,
702:
836:, Defense Intelligence Historical Perspectives, Number 2, Defense Intelligence Agency: Historical Research Division, pp. 34–35, archived from
311:. This first group of orphans would then transfer to charter flights and be welcomed by President Ford upon arriving in the United States in
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were assigned to search for the flight data recorder in the South China Sea. The rear hatch and flight recorder were found by the USS
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The story of the disaster was featured on the seventh season of the
Canadian-made, internationally distributed documentary series
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and helicopters also discovered wreckage from the doors in the South China Sea as well as the body of a C-5 crewmember.
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The number of fatalities vary depending on the source, but official accounts state 138 of 314 on board were killed.
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began evacuating
American citizens. To avoid alarming the host country, U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam
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685:"ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed C-5A Galaxy 68-0218 Saigon-Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)"
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oscillations, but the crew countered them and maintained a controlled descent at about 250 to 260
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Given the explosive manner in which the rear doors failed, sabotage was initially suspected.
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981:– Facebook group operated by Dennis Traynor, aircraft commander during the 1975 incident.
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the previous night. Out of 314 people on board, the death toll included 78 children, 35
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authorized Americans to be flown out under several conditions, one of which was
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The Vietnam Cauldron: Defense Intelligence in the War for Southeast Asia
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A United States Air Force C-5 Galaxy, similar to the aircraft involved
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In early April 1975, with much of South Vietnam overrun by communist
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Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft
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Aviation accidents and incidents caused by maintenance errors
718:, J. Edward Lee and Toby Haynsworth, McFarland and Company,
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because among the crash fatalities were five DIA employees.
248:. The cause was ascribed to loss of flight control due to
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Accidents and incidents involving the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy
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U.S. Air Force aircraft crash during Operation Babylift
291:, in which American caregivers were paired with South
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985:First-Person Account – Pilot Dennis "Bud" Traynor
928:"C5 Crashes in Vietnam During Operation Babylift"
716:Nixon, Ford, and the Abandonment of South Vietnam
991:World Airways – Homeward Bound – 30 Years After
703:"Operation Babylift crash brings tragedy, hope"
1200:Royal Nepal Airlines Pilatus PC-6 Porter crash
804:. Hall of Valor: The Military Medals Database.
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1027:Aviation accidents and incidents in Vietnam
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319:. At 4:15 p.m. the C-5A was over the
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943:Aviation Safety Network 16 September 2017
941:Lockheed C-5A Galaxy Accident description
323:about 13 nautical miles (24 km) off
1459:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1975
1250:Agadir Royal Air Maroc Boeing 707 crash
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1370:South African Air Force Alouette crash
1106:This includes the former South Vietnam
1038:Flying Tiger Line Canadair CL-44 crash
236:participating in the first mission of
1469:Decompression accidents and incidents
7:
1340:Overseas National Airways Flight 032
1300:Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 150
1240:Far Eastern Air Transport Flight 134
760:USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series
1054:Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z bombing
956:. Rotten Tomatoes. 2 December 2009
863:"Dennis W Traynor Air Force Cross"
817:, Air Force Magazine, August 1991.
25:
1046:May 1968 Kham Duc C-130 shootdown
790:. Gathering of Eagles Foundation.
788:"Eagle Profile – Traynor, Dennis"
1330:Inex-Adria Aviopromet Flight 450
1146:Aviation accidents and incidents
877:"Tilford W Harp Air Force Cross"
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1170:Golden West Airlines Flight 261
879:. Military Times Hall of Valor.
865:. Military Times Hall of Valor.
911:. US Air Force. Archived from
766:. Diane Publishing: 29. 1978.
33:1975 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident
18:1975 Tan Son Nhut C-5 accident
1:
827:Petersen, Michael B. (2012),
254:1968 Kham Duc C-130 shootdown
628:American Airlines Flight 191
608:Tropical Airways Flight 1301
1220:Eastern Air Lines Flight 66
1190:Turkish Airlines Flight 345
1094:Vietnam Airlines Flight 474
1086:Vietnam Airlines Flight 850
603:Alaska Airlines Flight 1282
593:Turkish Airlines Flight 981
588:American Airlines Flight 96
381:Defense Intelligence Agency
69:due to improper maintenance
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1180:Kjalarnes helicopter crash
979:C-5A Galaxy Babylift Crash
618:United Airlines Flight 232
583:United Airlines Flight 811
108:10.8374972°N 106.6918306°E
1479:April 1975 events in Asia
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1280:Wien Air Alaska Flight 99
1210:Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident
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1078:Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident
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891:"Two AF nurses heroes of"
815:Valor: A Galaxy of Heroes
756:"Last Flight From Saigon"
623:China Airlines Flight 611
613:Japan Airlines Flight 123
424:Rear doors of a C5 Galaxy
37:
1320:Żabbar Avro Vulcan crash
1360:Graham Hill plane crash
329:explosive decompression
250:explosive decompression
143:United States Air Force
113:10.8374972; 106.6918306
67:Explosive decompression
1474:1970s in South Vietnam
1415:10.84028°N 106.69750°E
1070:Air Vietnam Flight 706
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397:United States Congress
372:Defense Attaché Office
1290:Interflug Flight 1107
993:Page 44 (pdf page 34)
915:on 12 September 2009.
909:"Colonel Regina Aune"
457:amphibious cargo ship
423:
383:'s history until the
258:Arrow Air Flight 1285
242:Tan Son Nhut Air Base
163:Tan Son Nhut Air Base
79:Tan Son Nhut Air Base
1350:Aeroflot Flight 6274
1260:Aeroflot Flight A-53
1230:Aeroflot Flight E-15
513:"Operation Babylift"
395:Some members of the
385:September 11 attacks
234:Lockheed C-5A Galaxy
133:Lockheed C-5A Galaxy
1420:10.84028; 106.69750
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1388:► 1976
1382:1974 ◄
954:"Mayday (Season 7)"
689:aviation-safety.net
232:On 4 April 1975, a
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705:. 31 January 2014.
434:United States Navy
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289:Operation Babylift
279:of U.S. President
238:Operation Babylift
129:Aircraft type
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1062:Pan Am Flight 841
926:Patrick Mondout.
843:on 29 August 2015
802:"Tilford W. Harp"
511:, in the episode
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1209:
1080:(April 1975)
1077:
958:. Retrieved
948:
936:
921:
913:the original
903:
894:
885:
871:
857:
845:, retrieved
838:the original
829:
822:
810:
796:
782:
763:
759:
715:
711:
697:
688:
678:
506:
504:
495:
490:
486:
481:
477:command ship
471:
461:
451:
441:
430:
427:
410:Cheney Award
394:
364:
360:Saigon River
341:
302:
267:
231:
150:Registration
58:4 April 1975
29:
1418: /
1406:106°41′51″E
1064:(July 1972)
1056:(June 1972)
960:14 December
342:The pilot,
309:Philippines
299:Description
281:Gerald Ford
177:Philippines
169:Destination
111: /
1433:Categories
1403:10°50′25″N
1048:(May 1968)
670:References
482:Blue Ridge
412:for 1975.
317:California
293:Vietnamese
264:Background
207:Fatalities
191:Passengers
895:Air Force
847:28 August
480:USS
470:USS
460:USS
450:USS
447:fleet tug
440:USS
391:Aftermath
368:Viet Cong
313:San Diego
295:orphans.
223:Survivors
183:Occupants
563:Aviation
519:See also
489:and USS
472:Reasoner
337:spoilers
325:Vũng Tàu
215:Injuries
139:Operator
124:Aircraft
50:Accident
1150: (
1148:in 1975
726:, 2002.
539:Vietnam
525:Portals
491:Deliver
467:frigate
442:Deliver
400:Traynor
377:Pattaya
352:phugoid
344:Captain
333:aileron
307:in the
154:68-0218
63:Summary
1366:Dec 23
1356:Nov 29
1346:Nov 17
1336:Nov 12
1326:Oct 30
1316:Oct 14
1306:Sep 30
1296:Sep 24
1276:Aug 30
1266:Aug 20
1256:Aug 15
1236:Jul 31
1226:Jul 15
1216:Jun 24
1196:Mar 31
1186:Jan 30
1176:Jan 17
987:Page 6
770:
722:
650:April.
508:Mayday
487:Abnaki
475:, and
462:Durham
452:Abnaki
275:, the
273:forces
83:Saigon
1286:Sep 1
1246:Aug 3
1206:Apr 4
1166:Jan 9
841:(PDF)
834:(PDF)
634:Notes
575:1970s
402:'
356:knots
77:Near
1152:1975
962:2022
849:2015
768:ISBN
720:ISBN
256:and
199:Crew
74:Site
55:Date
226:176
218:176
210:138
194:285
186:314
1435::
893:.
764:IV
762:.
758:.
747:^
731:^
687:.
655:^
642:^
515:.
465:,
445:,
335:,
315:,
260:.
244:,
202:29
175:,
85:,
81:,
1154:)
1137:e
1130:t
1123:v
1020:e
1013:t
1006:v
964:.
930:.
852:.
776:.
691:.
527::
20:)
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