| Date: 17 June 1972 |
| Aircraft type: A-7E Corsair |
| Serial Number: 157531 |
| Military Unit: VA-192 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Kitty Hawk |
| Name(s): |
| Cdr Darrel Dean Owens (Survived) |
| On the 17th a strike group from the Kitty Hawk attacked important railway sidings at Thieu Giuong near Thanh Hoa. As the aircraft were leaving the target area and heading out to sea, the Corsairs of the RESCAP flight, which had been orbiting off the coast in case they were needed, swept in to drop their bombs before returning to the carrier. Cdr Owens, VA-192’s executive officer, was leading the flight at 14,000 feet when he spotted two SAMs that had been launched in his direction. One of the missiles exploded about 150 feet off the port beam but the other exploded directly in front of the aircraft (call sign Jury 304). Within seconds the hydraulic flight control system began to fail and the aircraft started to roll. Cdr Owens recrossed the coast and managed to guide his damaged aircraft back to the Kitty Hawk. However, as he slowed down for a straight-in approach to the carrier, the nose dropped and the aircraft rolled uncontrollably to the right. The pilot ejected and was soon picked up by the ever-present plane guard helicopter. Cdr Owens became the squadron commander of VA-192 in May 1973. |
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