| Date: 17 March 1969 |
| Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief |
| Serial Number: 61-0104 |
| Military Unit: 34 TFS, 388 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Korat |
| Name(s): |
| 1Lt David Thomas Dinan (KIA) |
| An F-105 was lost during a Barrel Roll mission on the eastern edge of the Plain of Jars. A flight of Thuds was attacking a mobile anti-aircraft gun when 1Lt Dinan’s aircraft (call sign Simmer) was hit by return fire while on his second strafing run. He flew away from the target but had to eject a short while later. A FAC pilot saw the ejection and a SAR aircraft spotted the parachute. It appears that 1Lt Dinan died when his parachute was torn as he descended through tall trees and fell a considerable height and rolled down a hillside. A PJ was lowered to the ground from a HH-53 and found 1Lt Dinan’s body but it could not be recovered at the time due to the hazardous terrain and enemy activity. The crash site was located near Ban Khap in 2014 and excavated two years later. Personal effects and human remains were recovered and identity was confirmned in August 2017. David Dinan was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on 25 April 2018. 1Lt Dinan had ejected from F-105D 61-0092 over Thailand on 17 November 1968 following an engine failure. |
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