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Casualty Info
Casualty Date Mar 16, 1970
Cause Non Hostile- Died Other Causes
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Quang Nam (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery (VA) - San Diego, California
Wall/Plot Coordinates 12W 002 / SECTION D SITE 132-D
LCDR Aiau was the plane commander for this EC-121M from Navy Squadron Faireconron-One (VQ-1) which crashed in Danang on March 16, 1970. He and his crew were just starting their rotation for duty in Danang. Permanently stationed at NAS Atsugi, Japan, VQ-1 had a detachment in Danang. The detachment's mission was to provide Mig, SAM and AAA warnings to US aircraft flying over the Gulf of Tonkin and on missions into North Vietnam. Although LCDR Aiau was the plane commander, there were typically three pilots on the 32 member crew and the pilots would share the duties since missions could be 10-12 hours long. In this case, one of the other pilots was at the controls. One of the four engines was having some problem and was feathered during the landing. This is not considered a serious emergency, but the tower at Danang was probably aware of it. Apparently, the "line up" for the landing wasn't correct and the pilot at the controls decided to waive off and come around again for a landing. The plane was on final and, when the pilot pulled out of the approach, the right wing dropped too far and caught the top of a revetment for an Air Force F-4 on the Air Force side of the field. The plane took a nose down attitude and crashed. The tail section separated from the aircraft and flew for a few hundred feet before landing. Eight crew members in this aft section of the plane survived. Although ground personnel made heroic efforts to rescue the 31 men aboard the EC-121 - braving gasoline and jet fuel fires and the risk of electrocution - 23 men were either dead or fatally injured.
