| Date: 11 January 1968 |
| Aircraft type: OP-2E Neptune |
| Serial Number: 131436 |
| Military Unit: VO-67 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: Nakhon Phanom |
| Name(s): |
| Cdr Delbert Austin Olson (KIA) |
| Lt(jg) Phillip Paul Stevens (KIA) |
| Lt(jg) Denis Leon Anderson (KIA) |
| Lt(jg) Arthur Charles Buck (KIA) |
| PO2 Donald Nellis Thoresen (KIA) |
| PO2 Kenneth Harry Widon (KIA) |
| PO2 Michael Land Roberts (KIA) |
| PO2 Richard Michael Mancini (KIA) |
| PO3 Gale Robert Siow (KIA) |
| The first of three Neptunes lost by VO-67 during its brief career in Southeast Asia went missing during a daylight sensor delivery mission over Laos in poor weather. Radio and radar contact with the aircraft (call sign Lindy 08) was lost during the mission and when it became overdue an extensive visual and electronic search of the operational area was commenced. Initially nothing was found, but 12 days later a Skyraider pilot found what he thought was a crash site near Ban Napoung, 45 miles northwest of the DMZ. An O-2 from the 23rd TASS obtained photographs of the site confirming that it was indeed the remains of Cdr Olson’s aircraft. The Neptune had crashed into the north face of a sheer cliff just 150 feet below a 4,580 feet ridge. It was highly unlikely that anyone could have survived the impact and due to the extremely difficult terrain and the proximity of enemy troops in the area it was decided not to insert a search party to look for the bodies. On 23 February the entire crew were redesignated from missing in action to presumed killed in action. Cdr Olson was the Squadron’s executive officer. |
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