douglas a-1e skyraider (52-133883)

DOUGLAS A-1E SKYRAIDER (REGISTRATION: 52-133883)
On July 23, 1969, Majors Franklin W. Picking and Thomas H. McCarty, while flying an A-1G, were lost to hostile ground fire. They took off from Pleiku on an in-country mission near An Khe. The mission was McCarty’s first and Picking was to demonstrate various ordnance delivery techniques. Picking sat in the left seat and was the instructor pilot. After the third pass, the Skyraider was observed taking hits in the right wing during the pull off. The aircraft banked to the right and crashed. There were no radio calls from the stricken aircraft. The lead aircraft initiated rescue operations and the SAR continued to until weather and darkness closed in. Two days later, an Army team recovered the bodies of both pilots. They were still in the aircraft.

Source : WINGS AND WRENCHES: THE HISTORY OF THE 6TH AIR COMMANDO SQUADRON 1967 TO 1969