| Date: 19 June 1972 |
| Aircraft type: F-4J Phantom |
| Serial Number: 157273 |
| Military Unit: VF-213 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Kitty Hawk |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr Roy Cash, Jr. (Survived) |
| Lt Ronald John Laib (Survived) |
| A section of Phantoms was flying a BARCAP mission over Hon Nieu island near Vinh during a dawn attack on a merchant ship. Lt Cdr Cash was jinking at 1,000 feet in an attempt to throw the anti-aircraft gunners off their aim when his aircraft (call sign Black Lion 107) was hit by 23mm flak. The port wing caught fire and fuel streamed from the aircraft as Lt Cdr Cash headed out to sea towards his carrier. About 100 miles out to sea the pilot eventually lost control as the hydraulic system began to fail completely. The crew ejected safely and were quickly picked up by a Navy helicopter. Lt Cdr Cash and his NFO, Lt J E Kain, had shot down a MiG when serving with VF-33 on 10 July 1968.
HC-7 Rescue Helicopter Combat Support Squadron SEVEN (HC-7) was established September 1, 1967. While simultaneously providing several fleet support activities in the Gulf of Tonkin, HC-7 assumed the responsibility for North Vietnam naval combat search and rescue. HC-7 prepared for action using UH-2B Kaman Sea Sprite helos inherited from HC-1 and were stationed in detachments aboard small boys, destroyers (DDs) and Guided Missile Frigates (DLGs), patrolling off the coast of North Vietnam primarily for the purpose of Search and Rescue (SAR) duty. The information at the following link was compiled by Ron Milam, the historian for HC-7, from ship's deck logs, official HC-7 Rescue Reports, other official and unofficial documents, interviews with crew members and survivors, and other sources, including the Chris Hobson book upon which this site is based. The details for the rescue associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link and this link. |
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