| Date: 15 May 1966 |
| Aircraft type: AC-47D Gunship I |
| Serial Number: 43-49546 |
| Military Unit: 4 ACS, 14 ACW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Tan Son Nhut detached to Ubon |
| Name(s): |
| Maj George William Jensen (KIA) |
| Maj Lavern George Reilly (KIA) |
| Capt Marshall Landis Tapp (KIA) |
| 1Lt George Winton Thompson (KIA) |
| SSgt James Arthur Preston (KIA) |
| Sgt James Ellis Williams (KIA) |
| Sgt William Louis Madison (KIA) |
| A1C Kenneth Dewey McKenney (KIA) |
| An AC-47 gunship (call sign Spooky 1) disappeared while on a mission over southern Laos. The pilot made his last radio call as dusk was approaching and the aircraft’s last known position was near Ban Nampakhon in Savannakhet Province, 30 miles west of the DMZ. A SAR mission failed to find any trace of the aircraft or any of its crew and Pathet Lao radio later claimed to have shot it down. This particular AC-47 was being used as a trials aircraft to evaluate the use of .50 calibre machine guns instead of 7.62mm Miniguns, and Maj Reilly was a Seventh Air Force project officer who was participating in the trials. The trials also involved the use of a starlight scope, which intensified the light reflected from the moon and the stars and greatly enhanced night vision. Between 1994 and 1997 several joint US-Lao investigation teams excavated the wreckage and recovered human remains and personal items resulting in a group identification that was announced in December 1999. |
You may return to your search results, go to the Search Form, or go back to the Home Page.