Vientiane – Hanoi
Flight / Schedule
Vientiane – Hanoi
Aircraft
Boeing 307 StratolinerRegistration
F-BELV
MSN
1996
Year of Manufacture
1940
Date
October 18, 1965 at 04:30 PM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Plain, Valley
Crash Location
Hanoi Hà N<U+1ED9>i City District
Region
Asia • Vietnam
Crash Cause
Terrorism act, Hijacking, Sabotage
Narrative Report
On October 18, 1965 at 04:30 PM, Vientiane – Hanoi experienced a crash involving Boeing 307 Stratoliner, operated by International Commission for Supervision and Control, with the event recorded near Hanoi Hà N<U+1ED9>i City District.
The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.
13 people were known to be on board, 13 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 9, passenger fatalities: 9, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The aircraft departed Vientiane-Wattay Airport at 1505LT bound for Hanoi. About 15 minutes later, the crew contacted ATC and gave his ETA at Hanoi for 1644LT. While descending to Hanoi-Gia Lam Airport, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in an isolated area. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the 13 occupants was found. It is believed the airplane may have been shot down by soldiers based in a zone under North-Vietnam control. All four crew members were French citizens while the nine passengers were employees of the ICSC.
Aircraft reference details include registration F-BELV, MSN 1996, year of manufacture 1940.
Fatalities
Total
13
Crew
4
Passengers
9
Other
0
Crash Summary
The aircraft departed Vientiane-Wattay Airport at 1505LT bound for Hanoi. About 15 minutes later, the crew contacted ATC and gave his ETA at Hanoi for 1644LT. While descending to Hanoi-Gia Lam Airport, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in an isolated area. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the 13 occupants was found. It is believed the airplane may have been shot down by soldiers based in a zone under North-Vietnam control. All four crew members were French citizens while the nine passengers were employees of the ICSC.
Cause: Terrorism act, Hijacking, Sabotage
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
4
Passengers On Board
9
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 13
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Vientiane – Hanoi
Flight Type
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Plain, Valley
Region / Country
Asia • Vietnam
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
Boeing Airplane Company
Boeing 307 Stratoliner
The four engine aircraft (first prototype) left Seattle-Boeing Field at 1257LT with few different representative of TWA and KLM. At 1312LT, a radio message was transmitted from NX19901 to the Boeing Aircraft Company radio Station located at Seattle, which message gave the position of the aircraft as being between Tacoma and Mount Rainier at an altitude of 11,000 feet. Some two or three minutes later, while flying at a comparatively slow rate of speed in the vicinity of Alder, the aircraft stalled and began to spin in a nose down attitude. After completing two or three returns in the spin, during which power was applied, it recovered from the spin and began to dive. The aircraft partially recovered from the dive at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet above sea level, during which recovery it began to disintegrate. Outboard sections of the left and right wings failed upward and broke entirely loose from the aircraft. Major portions of the vertical fin and portions of the rudder were carried away by the wing wreckage. The outboard section of the left elevator separated from the stabilizer and both fell to the ground detached. The right horizontal tail surface, being held on by the fairing along the top surface and also by the elevator trim tab cables, remained with the fuselage. The number one engine nacelle also broke loose from the aircraft and fell to the ground separately. The main body of the aircraft settled vertically and struck the ground in an almost level attitude both longitudinally and laterally at a point approximately 1.200 feet above sea level. Watches and clocks aboard the aircraft, which were broken by force of the impact, indicated the time of the accident as approximately 1317LT. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all ten occupants were killed. Crew: Julius A. Barr, first pilot, Earl A. Ferguson, copilot, Benjamin J. Pearson. alternate copilot, Harlan Hull, alternate copilot, Ralph L. Cram, first aerodynamist, John Kylstra, assistant to aerodynamist, Albert G. von Baumhauer, assistant to aerodynamist, Pieter Guillonard, recorder and photographer, William C. Doyle, operator of the oscillograph, Harry T. West, engineering officer.
Air France
Dewoitine D.338
While on a flight from France to southeast Asia, the three engine aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter. The aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Gulf of Tonkin, killing all four crew members. Crew: Alfred Lacaze, pilot, Jean Assolant, copilot, Francis Pechard, radio navigator, Pierre Valepyn, engineer.
Air France
Dewoitine D.338
Crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere in Indochina in 1940. No casualties. The exact date remains unknown.
United States Army Air Forces - USAAF
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Crashed following an engine failure.
United States Army Air Forces - USAAF
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Lost without trace in Indochina. At least one crew member, Cpl Florian Sticka, was killed.
United States Army Air Forces - USAAF
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Crew was performing a cargo flight in Vietnam when a technical failure forced the crew to abandon the aircraft and bail out. Out of control, aircraft crashed in the Mekong Valley and was destroyed by impact forces. All five occupants were unhurt.