fairchild c-123k provider (54-0642)

FAIRCHILD C-123K PROVIDER (REGISTRATION: 54-0642)
On October 10, 1969, a U.S. Air Force Fairchild C-123K Provider (#54-0642) from the 19th Special Operations Squadron (Air Commando), based at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, crashed on take-off from Rach Gia (Rock Jaw). The plane, headed to Can Tho, took off in an almost vertical climb. At about 1500 feet the right wing suddenly arched to the left. In seemingly slow motion, the plane rolled on its back then headed nose first toward the ground, twisting once or twice before impact. Several soldiers who witnessed the crash jumped in a jeep and drove immediately to the crash site. They were there in less than three minutes. The aircraft had buried itself about ten feet into the ground, nose first. There were no survivors. A post-crash fire had not occurred. The first responders described the scene as very, very quiet. The cause of the accident was either the plane was low on fuel and the jet assist on the left wing ran out of gas or that there was a malfunction in the fuel pump. No enemy hostile fire had been reported that day. The lost crew members included CAPT William F. Unckrich, 1LT Charles F. Burrell, TSGT Harry C. Shepard Jr., SSGT Lavoyn A. Jones, and A1C Leland C. Johnson. There were two Army soldiers hitching a ride on the aircraft, SP5 Richard L. Cummins and PFC Stanley G. Krebs. SP5 Cummins had just completed two tours of duty in Vietnam and was beginning the return trip home to be discharged.