Hu<U+1EBF> – Pleiku – Buôn Ma Thu<U+1ED9>t – Saigon

On June 5, 1972 at 12:00 AM, Hu<U+1EBF> – Pleiku – Buôn Ma Thu<U+1ED9>t – Saigon experienced a crash involving Curtiss C-46 Commando, operated by Air America, with the event recorded near Pleiku Gia Lai Province.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

32 people were known to be on board, 32 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 29, passenger fatalities: 29, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. On approach to Pleiku Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located few km from the airport. The awreckage was found about 15 meters below the summit and all 32 occupants were killed, among them 6 China Airlines employees (three crew members and three mechanics), 11 US soldiers, 14 South-Vietnam soldiers and one South-Vietnam civilian.

Aircraft reference details include registration EM-2, MSN 30460, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 13.9860°, 108.0074°.