1975 C5-A USAF Galaxy crash at Saigon with 155 fatalities.
From Google source>
C-5 Galaxy 68-0218 was the initial mission of Operation Babylift to bring Vietnamese orphans to the US in the few remaining days before the Republic of Vietnam fell. The C-5 departed Saigon-Tan Son Nhut Airport at 16:03. Twelve minutes after takeoff, after climbing through FL230, there was what seemed to be an explosion as the lower rear fuselage was torn apart. The locks of the rear loading ramp had failed, causing the door to open and separate. A rapid decompression occurred. Control and trim cables to the rudder and elevators were severed, leaving only one aileron and wing spoilers operating. Two of the four hydraulic systems were out. The crew wrestled at the controls, managing to keep control of the plane with changes in power settings by using the one working aileron and wing spoilers.The crew descended to an altitude of 4,000 feet on a heading of 310 degrees in preparation for landing on Tan Son Nhut's runway 25L. About halfway through a turn to final approach, the rate of descent increased rapidly to 4,000 feet per minute. Seeing they couldn't make the runway, full power was applied to bring the nose up. At 50 feet, the throttles where retarded to idle and the C-5 touched down in a rice paddy. Skidding about 1,000 feet, the aircraft again became airborne for a half mile before hitting a dike and breaking into four parts. The cargo compartment was completely destroyed, killing 141 of the 149 orphans and attendants. Only three of 152 in the troop compartment perished. Five of the flight crew, three of the medical team, and three others lost their lives, but 175 of the 328 aboard survived.
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This event was shown on TV Channel Seven this evening as part of the Air disaster series and the photos were disturbing footage.
According to the TV commentary, elevator control was lost after the decompression and the crew were forced to use differential thrust to control pitch. It is not the sort of emergency manoeuvre taught in the simulator and it was a miracle that anyone survived the crash landing. A similar event with a happier ending occurred in Bagdad during the conflict there. A missile knocked out the flight controls of an A310 (?) and the crew managed to pull of an all flaps up landing using engine power for pitch and roll control.
Having been fortunate enough in a simulator to have practiced several approach and landings all flaps up and left with only the engines as sole means of control, I can vouchsafe it is a worthwhile exercise in pure flying skill.
Cynics can sneer all they like saying the exercise is a waste of simulator priorities but rest assured the hire of the simulator came out of my pocket which left me poorer financially, but a great deal wiser and more confident after the event. It took several C-5A type crashes before I got the hang of it.
Next time you have a simulator session ask your instructor could he spare the time to demonstrate how it is done before handing over to you to try your luck. He might learn something about real no automatics piloting skill and so may you