Caribou Association
The C-7A Caribou Association
RAAF operated 29 aircraft. 35 Squadron served in Vietnam 08/64 to 02/72. Three aircraft lost.
A4-171 Crashed 30/08/67, An Thoi Vietnam. Into water 300m short of runway.
A4-185 Crashed 18/11/64, A Ro Vietnam. It crashed into a ditch dug across the runway, fuselage converted to a command post following recovery of wings and engines.
A4-193 Destroyed 29/03/70, That Son Vietnam. Destroyed by a mortar attack when on the ground.
One RAAF front seat crew learnt not to throw dross out the cockpit window, remains of lunch tossed out and impacted the autofeather probe, which did what it's supposed to do. Checked serviceable I guess.
ADF Serials - Caribou
A US twin-engine transport Caribou crashes after being hit by American artillery near Quang Ngai City, Vietnam. US artillery accidentally shot down the ammunition-laden plane, which crossed a firing zone while trying to land at the US Duc Pho Special Forces camp. All three crewmen died in the crash. Hiromichi Mine made this photo probably during the American military Operation Hood River, a search and destroy mission in the Quang Ngai Province, between 2 and 13 August 1967, conducted by the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. It shows a tragic scene of war casualty, caused by friendly fire. The plane was shot down, while it was trying to land at the Base Area 121, near Ha Thanh, about 15 kilometers west of Quang Ngai City and about 40 kilometers northwest of Duc Pho. Although a cease-fire order had been issued, this command was not received by the battery commander. Subsequently, the Caribou flew into the line of fire of a 155mm howitzer. The shell blew off its entire rear fuselage and tail section. The three crew members, Captain A.E. Hendrickson, Captain J.D. Wiley, and Technical Sergeant Z.A. Carter, died in the crash. Following the accident, the US Army and US Air Force tightened up their coordination procedures for air operations near artillery fire zones. The photograph was posted to every US Caribou briefing room in Vietnam, as a reminder that the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army were not the only problem for pilots in Vietnam. A USAF crew following take over of Caribou assets from the Army under the Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966.
Receiving arty clearance was part and parcel of all Vietnam low level ops, as you never knew who was shooting what where. One Huey back seat crew had the experience of seeing a dark shape enter one door and exit the other, thankfully both doors were open, as they usually were.