U-Tapao - U-Tapao

On December 21, 1972 at 12:00 AM, U-Tapao - U-Tapao experienced a crash involving Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near B<U+1EA1>ch Mai Hà N<U+1ED9>i City District.

The flight was categorized as bombing and the reported phase was flight at a city crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 50.0%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The airplane departed U-Tapao NAS in Thailand with six crew members on board, taking part to the Linebacker II mission over Vietnam. While flying over Hanoi, the airplane was hit by enemy fire (SA-2 surface to air missile). The plane went out of control and crashed in B<U+1EA1>ch Mai, a district of Hanoi. Three crew members were killed while three others were taken PoW. Crew: Cpt Peter James Giroux, pilot, Cpt Thomas Waring Bennett, copilot, † 1st Lt Joseph Bernard Copack Jr., navigator, † Cpt Peter Paul Camerota, EWO, Lt Col Gerald William Alley, † M/Sgt Louis Edward LeBlanc Jr., air gunner.

Aircraft reference details include registration 55-0061, MSN 464013, year of manufacture 1955.