U-Tapao - U-Tapao

The airplane was engaged in the Linebacker II mission over North Vietnam, carrying six crew members from U-Tapao NAS. While overflying the Hanoi area, the aircraft was hit by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile. The crew decided to leave the target area and to return to U-Tapao NAS for an emergency landing. As the four engines on the left side were out of service, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed in an isolated area. All six crew were found alive. Crew: Cpt John Mize, pilot, Cpt Terrence Gruters, copilot, Lt William Robinson, navigator, Cpt Dennis Anderson, EWO, Cpt William North, radio navigator, T/Sgt Peter E. Whalen, air gunner.

Flight / Schedule

U-Tapao - U-Tapao

Registration

56-0599

MSN

17282

Year of Manufacture

1956

Date

December 27, 1972 at 12:00 AM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Bombing

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Plain, Valley

Crash Location

Pattaya-U-Tapao Rayong (<U+0E23><U+0E30><U+0E22><U+0E2D><U+0E07>)

Region

Asia • Thailand

Crash Cause

Terrorism act, Hijacking, Sabotage

Narrative Report

On December 27, 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 Pattaya-U-Tapao Rayong (<U+0E23><U+0E30><U+0E22><U+0E2D><U+0E07>).

The flight was categorized as bombing and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 6 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The airplane was engaged in the Linebacker II mission over North Vietnam, carrying six crew members from U-Tapao NAS. While overflying the Hanoi area, the aircraft was hit by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile. The crew decided to leave the target area and to return to U-Tapao NAS for an emergency landing. As the four engines on the left side were out of service, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed in an isolated area. All six crew were found alive. Crew: Cpt John Mize, pilot, Cpt Terrence Gruters, copilot, Lt William Robinson, navigator, Cpt Dennis Anderson, EWO, Cpt William North, radio navigator, T/Sgt Peter E. Whalen, air gunner.

Aircraft reference details include registration 56-0599, MSN 17282, year of manufacture 1956.

Fatalities

Total

0

Crew

0

Passengers

0

Other

0

Crash Summary

The airplane was engaged in the Linebacker II mission over North Vietnam, carrying six crew members from U-Tapao NAS. While overflying the Hanoi area, the aircraft was hit by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile. The crew decided to leave the target area and to return to U-Tapao NAS for an emergency landing. As the four engines on the left side were out of service, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed in an isolated area. All six crew were found alive. Crew: Cpt John Mize, pilot, Cpt Terrence Gruters, copilot, Lt William Robinson, navigator, Cpt Dennis Anderson, EWO, Cpt William North, radio navigator, T/Sgt Peter E. Whalen, air gunner.

Cause: Terrorism act, Hijacking, Sabotage

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

6

Passengers On Board

0

Estimated Survivors

6

Fatality Rate

0.0%

Known people on board: 6

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

U-Tapao - U-Tapao

Flight Type

Bombing

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Plain, Valley

Region / Country

Asia • Thailand

Aircraft Details

Registration

56-0599

MSN

17282

Year of Manufacture

1956