| Date: 23 July 1966 |
| Aircraft type: O-1E Bird Dog |
| Serial Number: 57-6268 |
| Military Unit: 20 TASS, 505 TACG |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Da Nang |
| Name(s): |
| Capt William Ward Smith (KIA) |
| During Operation Hastings the Marines did not have enough FACs themselves to deal with the many requests for air support and so requested assistance from the USAF. One of the Bird Dogs (call sign Bird Dog 93) assisting the Marines collided with a Marine Corps UH-34D helicopter during a visual reconnaissance flight close to the DMZ and crashed, killing the O-1 pilot. The helicopter crash-landed but all the crew were rescued. The Bird Dog crashed near a hill known to the Marines as the Rockpile. |
You may return to your search results, go to the Search Form, or go back to the Home Page.