Date: 13 August 1967 |
Aircraft type: RA-5C Vigilante |
Serial Number: 151634 |
Military Unit: RVAH-12 |
Service: USN |
Home Base: USS Constellation |
Name(s): |
Lt Cdr Leo Gregory Hyatt (POW) |
Lt(jg) Wayne Keith Goodermote (POW) |
The Constellation lost one its RA-5C reconnaissance aircraft and crew on the 13th. The aircraft (call sign Speartip 125) was on a mission to photograph railway yards at Na Phuc near Lang Son, in the extreme northeast of North Vietnam and less than 10 miles from the Chinese border. As Lt Cdr Hyatt put the huge aircraft into a descending turn at over 720 knots it was hit in the wings and tail by anti-aircraft fire. Within seconds a fire developed and the tail started to disintegrate. The crew ejected as control of the aircraft was lost and they were quickly captured. Both men were on their 33rd mission when they were shot down and were released together on 14 March 1973 and both eventually retired from the Navy with the rank of Captain. |
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