SOURCE: TWO RESIDENTS OF IIOA BAC VILLAGE, QUANG NAM PROVINCE, THUONG DUC DISTRICT, WHO VISITED AN AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE IN THEIR AREA IN THE 1960'S. RELIABILITY HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED. SUMMARY: THIS IS A STONY BEACH REPORT. IT PROVIDES THE INVESTIGATION RESULTS OF POW-MIA CASE 0051 CONDUCTED IN QUANG NAM DANANG PROVINCE, VIETNAM. ENCLOSURE. TEXT:
1. CASE SUMMARY. A. ON 31 DEC 1964, CAPTAIN KURT C,. MCDONALD, PILOT, AND SERGEANT FIRST CLASS (SFC) EDWARD R. DODGE, OBSERVER/PASSENGER IN AN OIF AIRCRAFT, WERE FLYING A RECONNAISSANCE, DELIVERY, VISUAL MISSION OVER SOUTH VIETNAM. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED DANANG AIR FORGE BASE (AFB) IN MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AT APPROXIMATELY 0815 HOURS. A STRAIGHT FLIGHT PATH WAS PLANNED TO THE ISHAU (A SHAU) SPECIAL FORCES CAMP WHERE THE DELIVERY WAS TO TAKE PLACE. ANOTHER OIF AIRCRAFT, FLOWN BY WOI GEORGE B. MUNDIS, DEPARTED DANANG AT THE SAME TIME ON A SIMILAR FLIGHT PATH. VISUAL CONTACT BY W01 MUNDIS WAS MADE AT 2800 FEET WITH MCDONALD'S AIRCRAFT TO MUNDIS' LEFT AND REAR. B. AT HILL NBR 3350, IN THE VICINITY OF GRID COORDINATES ZC090830, BOTH AIRCRAFT COMMENCED A 180 DEGREE TURN. WOI MUNDIS LOST SIGHT OF MCDONALD'S AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME. WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF CAPT MCDONALD'S FLIGHT PATH WERE BAD, WITH CLOUDS COMPLETELY OBSCURING RIDGE TO THE NORTH AND WITH THE CEILING RAGGED TO THE TREE TOPS IN THE VALLEY. WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS OVERDUE, A THOROUGH SEARCH ALONG THE PATH WAS INITIATED. THE AIR SEARCH LASTED SEVEN DAYS WITH 64 FLIGHTS LOGGED. OVER 150,000 LEAFLETS WERE DROPPED OFFERING A REWARD FOR ANY INFORMATION ON THE AIRCRAFT OR PERSONNEL INVOLVED. NO INFORMATION WAS EVER GIVEN.
2. WITNESS 0051-1. A. WITNESS 0051-1 BECAME COMMANDER OF THE HOA BAC (HOAF BACS) VILLAGE, /IGEOCOORD:48Q2C05801/, MILITIA FORCES IN 1960 AND SERVED IN THIS CAPACITY UNTIL 1966 WHEN HE BECAME THE VILLAGE POLITICAL OFFICER. IN 1969, WITNESS 0051-1 SERVED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE THA LANG (TIIAF LAWNG) HAMLET PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE AND REMAINED IN THIS POSITION UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1978. B. WITNESS 0051-1 RECALLED THAT AT LEAST TWO YEARS PRIOR TO 1968, A U.S. AIRCRAFT, WHICH HE ASSUMED HAD ORIGINATED IN DANANG, OVERFLEW HOA BAG AND CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS ABOUT THREE KILOMETERS SOUTH OF THE VILLAGE. THE PLANE FLEW INTO THE AREA AT APPROXIMATELY 0500 DURING THE RANY SEASON SOMETIME AROUND THE TENTH LUNAR MONTH. WITNESS 0051-1 WAS UNABLE TO OBSERVE THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO OVERCAST SKIES BUT BY THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE HE DEDUCED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY A "TAU GIFT" (T.AUF GIAF), A TERM THE LOCALS USED TO DESCRIBE SLOW MOVING FIXED WING PROPELLER DRIVEN RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT. C. FOR FEAR OF ENCOUNTERING SURVIVORS OR SEARCH AND RESCUE PERSONNEL, WITNESS 0051-1 WAITED UNTIL THE DAY FOLLOWING THE CRASH TO SET OUT ON HIS OWN TO LOCATE THE WRECKAGE. WITNESS 0051-1 MANAGED TO LOCATE THE CRASH SITE AND NOTICED THE WRECKAGE HAD BEEN TOTALLY INCINERATED. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, HE SPOTTED THE CHARRED BODY OF A SINGLE CREW MEMBER, STILL ATTACHED TO HIS SEAT. HE APPROACHED TO WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE BODY BUT, BECAUSE OF THE CHARRED CONDITION OF THE REMAINS, WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE RACE. WITNESS 0051-1 LOOKED OVER THE WRECKAGE FOR A BRIEF PERIOD BUT DID NOT REMOVE ANYTHING FROM THE CRASH SITE. D. AS HE DEPARTED THE CRASH SITE, WITNESS 0051-1 NOTED A TRAIL LEADING OFF INTO THE JUNGLE AWAY FROM THE WRECKAGE. HE FOLLOWED THE TRAIL OF BENT AND FLATTENED BRUSH FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO KILOMETERS AND DISCOVERED THE DEAD BODY OF A SECOND CREW MAN LYING FACE DOWN WITH ONE ARM UNDER HIS BODY AND THE OTHER OUTSTRETCHED OVER HIS HEAD. WITNESS 0051-1 DESCRIBED THE BODY AS BEING THAT OF A TALL, (APPROXIMATELY 71 INCIIES) CAUCASIAN WITH CLOSELY CROPPED HAIR, DRESSED IN A GREEN MILITARY UNIFORM. HE REMOVED TWO SHALL PLASTIC CARTONS, WHICH HE ASSUMED CONTAINED MEDICAL SUPPLIES, FROM THE BODY AND RETURNED TO HIS VILLAGE. HE LATER DISCARDED THE CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINERS,
3. WITNESS 0051-2. A. ALTHOUGH THE SKY WAS EXTREMELY OVERCAST THAT DAY, WITNESS 0051-2 WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE THE AIRCRAFT AS IT PASSED OVER HIS HOME BECAUSE IT WAS WELL BELOW THE CLOUD COVER. AS IT PASSED OVERIIEAD, HE NOTED THE PLANE WAS NEITHER IN FLAMES NOR TRAILING SMOKE AND NO PARACHUTES WERE SEEN EXITING THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IMPACT. B. WITNESS 0053.-2 REITERATED INFORMAIION PROVIDED BY THE FIRST WITNESS WITH REGARD THE MILLION PIASTER REWARD OFFERED FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF THE DOWNED CREW, BUT DID NOT ATTEMPT TO VISIT THE CRASH SITE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH LATER. ON THAT DAY, HE DEPARTED HIS HOME AND WALKED THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS FOR ABOUT FOUR HOURS BEFORE FINALLY REACHING THE SITE. AFTER DISCOVERING THE WRECKAGE, WITNESS 0051-2 WAS OVERCOME WITH FRIGHT, BASED ON SUPERSTITIONS HELD BY THE ETHNIC KA TU, AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED HOME. DURING HIS BRIEF STAY AT THE CRASH SITE, NO HUMAN REMAINS WERE OBSERVED. C. WITNESS 0051-2 WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY FIRSTHAND INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE SECOND REMAINS ATTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT BY THE FIRST WITNESS BUT DID CLAIM THAT WORD OF THE SECOND BODY QUICKLY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE VILLAGE FOLLOWING WITNESS 0051-1'S REPORT. HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE THREE VILLAGE MILITIAMEN, REPORTED BY THE FIRST WITNESS, THAT WERE SENT INTO THE AREA FOLLOWING THE CRASH, BUT STATED THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE ALL DEAD. D. SOMETIME AFTER 30 APR 75, WITNESS 0051-2 RETURNED TO THE CRASH SITE HOPING TO SALVAGE ALUMINUM FOR RESALE, HOWEVER, BY THIS TIME, ALL OF THE MARKETABLE WRECKAGE HAD BEEN SCAVENGED. WITNESS 0051- 2 WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANYONE WHO MAY HAVE PARTICIPATED IN EARLIER SCAVENGING EFFORTS, BUT HE WAS CERTAIN EVERYTHING REMOVED FROM THE SITE HAD ALREADY BEEN SOLD. AS A LIFELONG AREA RESIDENT,,WITNESS 0051- 2 HAS NEVER HEARD OF ANYONE RECOVERING REMAINS. E. ON 21 AUG 92, WITNESS 0051-2 WAS ASKED BY MEMBERS OF THE VNOSMP AND THE QUANG NAM DANANG PROVINCE TEAM TO DIRECT A UNILATERAL VIETNAMESE TEAM TO THE CRASH SITE. DURING THIS VISIT VARIOUS PIECES OF AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WERE RECOVERED AND RETRURNED TO HOA BAG. THIS WRECKAGE WAS TURNED OVER TO THE U.S. TEAM AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INTERVIEW. WITNESS 0051-2 ALSO AGREED TO LEAD A JOINT TEAM BACK THE SITE ON 9 SEP 92.
4. WITNESS IDENTIFICATION. A. WITNESS 0051-1. RESIDENT OF TIIA LANG IIAMLET, HOA BAC VILLAGE. B . WITNESS 0051-2 AND RESIDENT OF DAN BI HAMLETY HOA BA(, VILI.AGE
5. : SITE VISIT. ON 9 SEP 92, A SMALL, JOINT ACTIVITIES INVESTIGATIVE TEAM THAT INCLUDED FIVE U.S. MEMBERS VISITED THE ALLEGED CRASH SITE, OF CASE 0051. THE TEAM ARRIVED UPON THE INITIAL DEBRIS OF THE CRASH SITE AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HOURS. STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR THE APPARENT FRAME OF A SMALL AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND, ALONG WITH METAL ENCASED TUBING, PISTON WELLS, A CAMSHAFT AND FINALLY THE CRANKSHAFT. FRAME 1 OF ENCLOSURE 1 (TO FOLLOW) IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE CRANKSHAFT WITH SERIAL NUMBER 537057@. ALL OF THE DEBRIS WAS LOCATED IN THE STREAM BED WITH NOTHING DETECTED AT THE LOCATION THE WITNESS STATED WAS THE SPOT THE MAIN BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST I/UTMCOORD: 48QZC18737828/MAP SERIES L7014; 1:50,000; SHEET 654111, BACH MA; AMS 196511. THIS SITE IS APPROXIMATELY 40-60 METERS UPHILL FROM THE STREAM BED.
6. PHOTOGRAPHIC TITLING LOG. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ENCLOSURE TO IIR 6 024 0577 92 IS UNCLASSIFIED. THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN ALONG THE STREAM BED VICINITY I/UTMCOORD: 48QZC18737828/MAP SHEET IBIDII ON 920909, USING AN OLYMPUS STYLUS AUTOMATIC CAMERA, AND KODAK GOLD, COLOR FILM, ISO 200. GROUND. PHOTO 1 2 DESCRIPTION CRANKSHAFT FOUND IN STREAM BED - APPROXIMATELY 20 METERS DOWNSTREAPI FROM THE CITED CRASH AREA. THE CENTER OF THE BOOT IN THE PHOTO POINTS TO THE LOCATION OF THE SERIAL NUMBER, 537057, IMPRINTED ON THE CRANKSHAFT, LLOOZ, 2 METERS. CAMSHAFT FOUND IN THE STREAM BED APPROXIMATELY 200-400 METERS DOWNSTREAM FROM THE CITED CRASH. AREA, 1030Z, 1 METER. COMMENTS. 1. (FIEI.D COMMENT) - BOTH WITNESSES TESTIFIED IN AN OPEN AND SINCERE FASHION. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ADVANCE INSTRUCTION PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW SESSION.
NOTE: For information on Kurt's pasenger, Sgt. Edward Dodge, go to: www.taskforceomegainc.org/d030.htm
