Air Crash Daily | 1975 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident (Operation Babylift) Aftermath Footage @AirCrashDaily | Uploaded April 2023 | Updated October 2024, 21 hours ago.
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Accident Description: instagram.com/p/CqnLKrPvevA/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
On 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟰, 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟱, a United States Air Force Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (Reg. 68-0218) was engaged in Operation Babylift, a mission to bring Vietnamese orphans to the US in the few remaining days before the Republic of Vietnam fell.
The plane departed Tan Son Nhut Airport at 16:03. At 16:15, after climbing through FL230, the lower rear fuselage of the plane was torn apart. The locks of the rear loading ramp had failed, causing the door to open and separate. Control and trim cables to the rudder and elevators were severed, leaving only one aileron and wing spoilers operating. 2 of the 4 hydraulic systems were out. The crew wrestled at the controls, managing to keep control of the plane with changes in power settings by using the one working aileron and wing spoilers. The crew descended to an altitude of 4,000 feet on a heading of 310° in preparation for landing on runway 25L.
About halfway through a turn to final approach, the rate of descent increased rapidly to 4,000 ft/min. Full power was applied to bring the nose up. At 50 feet, the throttles where retarded to idle and the C-5 touched down in a rice paddy. Skidding about 1,000 feet, the plane again became airborne for a half mile before hitting a dike and breaking into four parts. The cargo compartment with 149 orphans and attendants was completely destroyed. Only 3 of 152 in the troop compartment perished. In total 138 of the 314 occupants died in the accident.
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/aircrashdaily/?hl=en
Accident Description: instagram.com/p/CqnLKrPvevA/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
On 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟰, 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟱, a United States Air Force Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (Reg. 68-0218) was engaged in Operation Babylift, a mission to bring Vietnamese orphans to the US in the few remaining days before the Republic of Vietnam fell.
The plane departed Tan Son Nhut Airport at 16:03. At 16:15, after climbing through FL230, the lower rear fuselage of the plane was torn apart. The locks of the rear loading ramp had failed, causing the door to open and separate. Control and trim cables to the rudder and elevators were severed, leaving only one aileron and wing spoilers operating. 2 of the 4 hydraulic systems were out. The crew wrestled at the controls, managing to keep control of the plane with changes in power settings by using the one working aileron and wing spoilers. The crew descended to an altitude of 4,000 feet on a heading of 310° in preparation for landing on runway 25L.
About halfway through a turn to final approach, the rate of descent increased rapidly to 4,000 ft/min. Full power was applied to bring the nose up. At 50 feet, the throttles where retarded to idle and the C-5 touched down in a rice paddy. Skidding about 1,000 feet, the plane again became airborne for a half mile before hitting a dike and breaking into four parts. The cargo compartment with 149 orphans and attendants was completely destroyed. Only 3 of 152 in the troop compartment perished. In total 138 of the 314 occupants died in the accident.
