| Date: 28 December 1970 |
| Aircraft type: A-7E Corsair |
| Serial Number: 157509 |
| Military Unit: VA-25 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Ranger |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr Robert W Castle (Survived) |
| The first of the new A-7Es to be lost in combat was an aircraft on a night-time Steel Tiger mission in southern Laos. Lt Cdr Castle (call sign Canasta 406), the leader of Chippy flight, was pulling up from a bombing run when he noticed that his oil quantity gauge was reading low. He jettisoned the remainder of his bombs and headed towards Nakhon Phanom, his emergency diversion airfield. During the flight the oil pressure began to drop even further, the engine started to vibrate, and the wingman reported flames coming from the Corsair’s tailpipe. Lt Cdr Castle secured the engine at 13,000 feet and glided for eight minutes down to 4,000 feet when he ejected and landed safely about 16 miles southeast of Nakhon Phanom. A SAR team was quickly put together consisting of a HH-43 of Detachment 9 of the 38th ARRS, flown by Capt Bobby Lay, and four A-1 Sandies, while an OV-10 Nail FAC that had been controlling the air strike also assisted. The HH-43 was confined primarily to local base rescue at this stage of the war but it was the only available helicopter on this occasion. Lt Cdr Castle was picked up by the HH-43 after spending just 19 minutes on the ground. The cause of the loss could not be positively attributed to enemy action and may well have been caused by a mechanical failure. |
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