Cam Ranh Bay - Yokota - McChord

On April 13, 1967 at 12:00 AM, Cam Ranh Bay - Yokota - McChord experienced a crash involving Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near Cam Ranh Bay Khánh Hòa Province.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

8 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 75.0%.

Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While taxiing to the runway for takeoff the crew completed the Before Takeoff Checklist. The copilot inadvertently missed the item referring to the automatic Spoiler Select Switch. The switch should have been in the "Rejected Takeoff" (RTO) position, but was in the "Autoland" position when the airplane departed. Unnoticed by the crew, between 34-60 Knots, the spoilers automatically deployed to the ground position. The crew noticed a reduced acceleration rate, but elected to continue the takeoff. The aircraft became airborne, accelerated poorly and began a shallow descent. It crashed into the sea just off the end of the runway. Six crew members were killed while two others were rescued. Those killed were: Maj Harry Milton Brenn, Cpt Morris Bowdoin Witt, SMS Roy Earl Shults, M/Sgt Herman Eugene Miller, T/Sgt Marshall Edward Brown, T/Sgt Harold Eugene Mahy.

Aircraft reference details include registration 66-0127, MSN 6153, year of manufacture 1966.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 11.9002°, 109.1806°.