U-Tapao - U-Tapao

On February 6, 1968 at 03:15 AM, U-Tapao - U-Tapao experienced a crash involving Lockheed P-3 Orion, operated by United States Navy - USN, with the event recorded near Phú Qu<U+1ED1>c Island Kiên Giang Province.

The flight was categorized as survey / patrol / reconnaissance and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

12 people were known to be on board, 12 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 12, crew fatalities: 12, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft departed U-Tapao Airbase in Thailand in the evening of February 5 for a 24-hour patrol flight over the Gulf of Thailand. Around 0300LT, the crew informed ground about his position and this was the last radio transmission as the airplane disappeared few minutes later and crashed into the sea off Phú Qu<U+1ED1>c Island. Some debris and two bodies were found 10 days later and all 12 occupants have been killed. Crew: Lt Cdr Robert F. Meglio, Lt(jg) Thomas Paul Jones, Lt(jg) Lynn Michael Travis, Lt(jg) Roy Arthur Huss, AXC Donald Frederick Burnett, A0C Donald Louis Gallagher, AMH2 Homer Eugene McKay, ADR1 James Clifford Newman, AE1 Melvin Carl Thompson, ADJ2 Billy W. McGhee, AX3 Armando Chapa, AX3 William Farrell Farris.

Aircraft reference details include registration 153440, MSN 185-5237, year of manufacture 1967.