| Date: 22 October 1966 |
| Aircraft type: RA-5C Vigilante |
| Serial Number: 150830 |
| Military Unit: RVAH-6 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Constellation |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr Thomas Carl Kolstad (KIA) |
| Lt(jg) William Blue Klenert (KIA) |
| Less than two hours after the Phantom had been lost the Constellation lost another aircraft. One of the ship’s Vigilantes (call sign Field Goal 705) was flying a reconnaissance mission with an escort between Hanoi and Hai Duong at 3,000 feet. Five miles southwest of Hai Duong the escorting Phantom was damaged by ground fire and started to turn back. Lt Cdr Kolstad reported a SAM launch as he turned to follow the Phantom. Nothing more was seen or heard from the Vigilante but a Vietnamese report stated that the aircraft had been shot down by an SA-2 and that the crew ejected at a very low altutude and were both killed. In 1976 the Vietnamese government handed over human remains that were identified in March 1977 as being those of the Vigilante crew.
The Phantom and Vigilante lost on the 22nd were the last aircraft lost by the Constellation on its second tour. It left the line on 9 November but would return with a new Air Wing the next year. |
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