EC-47 45-1133
On February 5, 1969, an EC47 (electronic surveillance) departed Pleiku Airbase, Republic of Vietnam on a tactical reconnaissance mission over Laos. The aircraft crew included LtCol. Harry T. Niggle, Capt. Walter F. Burke, Major Robert E. Olson, Major Homer M. Lynn Jr., MSgt. Wilton N. Hatton, SSgt. Rodney H. Gott, TSgt. Louis J. Clever, SSgt. James V. Dorsey Jr., SSgt. Hugh L. Sherburn (radio operator on the aircraft), and Sgt. Clarence L. McNeill. The last radio contact with the aircraft was at 8:10 a.m. at which time it was located about 21 miles west-northwest of the city of Chavane in Saravane Province, Laos. When the aircraft failed to make a scheduled stop at Phu Bai Airport near Hue shortly before noon, search efforts were initiated to locate the aircraft. During the remainder of the day and for six succeeding days, extensive communication and ramp checks were made, as well as a visual search of the area from the last known position of the aircraft through its intended flight path. Because no information was forthcoming which would reveal the whereabouts of the missing aircraft and crew, the search was then terminated. In the fall of 1969, the wreckage of an EC47 was located in a jungle-covered mountainous area in the approximate last known location of Sherburn's aircraft. The wreckage site was searched, and remains and a number of items were recovered. These items were later correlated to Sherburn's aircraft. The Department of the Air Force believes that the aircraft was faced with a sudden airborne emergency since the right wing of the aircraft was found some 500 meters from the main wreckage site. It was believed that the engine caught fire causing the wing to separate from the fuselage while the aircraft was still in the air. Further, the Air Force states that although the crew members had parachutes, it is unlikely that the apparent suddenness of the emergency would have permitted anyone to abandon the aircraft. The absence of emergency radio signals further diminished the hope that any of the crew members could have survived. At this time, the Air Force declared the ten men onboard the aircraft to be dead, and so notified the families. The remains found at the crash site were interred in a single grave at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. Military officials told eight of the families that the remains of only two individuals had been identified, but would not reveal those identities to them. (It is assumed that the families of the two individuals identified were informed.) In February 1970, the Sherburn family was informed that the remains found at the crash site were skeletal and commingled, and that Air Force identification specialists were unable to determine that they had a composite of ten individuals -- and were unable to establish the identity of any of the remains.
" Additional "On 5 February 1969, Staff Sergeants, Louis J. Clever, Hugh L. Sherburn, and Rodney H. Gott, and Sergeants James V. Dorsey, Jr., and Clarence L. McNeill were reported missing in action while on an operational mission [out of Pleiku]. Their EC-47, tail number 45-1133, did not return to friendly control and they were declared MIA at the time of estimated fuel exhaustion. Their MIA status was terminated 9 October 1969 under the provisions of Section 556, Title 37, United States Code, and their status was changed to killed in action at the time of the incident. [Ed. An EC-47Q. "Front end" crew members were: Burke, Capt. Walter Francis; Hatton, MSgt, Wilton Neil; Lynn, Maj. Homer Morgan, Jr.; Niggle, Maj. Harry Tillman; and Olson, Maj. Robert Eugene.] [ FURTHER NOTATION: This data was received from two seperate sources, and there is a difference in rank as listed in the two sources for Harry Tillman Niggle. One source, the first on lists him as a Lt. Col. and the second lists his rank as Major. For some reason, I am inclined to believe the first, Lt. Col. is correct.]
More on this incident, This data directly fromOfficial Declassified DocumentsA SPECIAL HISTORICAL STUDY OF USAFSS RESPONSE TO WORLD CRISES1949 - 1969United States Air Force Security Service
When you see ( ), that portion was censored.
COMBAT COUGAR aircraft 45-1133, scheduled to fly MACV mission area 901B from 0030Z through 0330Z on 5 February 1969, departed Pleiku Air Base at 2300Z on 4 February 1969. The aircraft was scheduled for an operations stop at Hue-Phu Bai Airfield, Vietnam, at 0630Z after completing the on-target time of the mission. Since heavy air traffic and other problems often extended ground time at Hue-Phu Bai, it was not unusual for a COMBAT COUGAR aircraft to be late in returning to Pleiku. Consequently, it was approximately 0900Z before there were and indications that the aircraft might be missing. At that time, Hue-Phu Bai contacted Det 2, 6994th Scty Sq and the ( ) Coordination Center ( ) and informed both organizations that the aircraft had not contacted them and had not made its scheduled operations stop> The 362nd TEWS and Det 2, 6994th Scty Sq immediately started a communications search for the aircraft. They soon found that it had contacted "Ceflien Lion" (Ubon Radar Control) at 0010Z, 5 February 1969 to request radar tracking when checking into the area. The last known communications with the aircraft was 0013Z the same date when the aircraft passed its location to Ubon. Its location at that time was approximately 20 nautical miles bearing 130 degrees from Ubon. At 0930Z on 5 February 1969, aircraft 45-1133 was officially declared missing in action and Search an Rescue (SAR) opertions were initiated. After two days of intensive search, all personnel aboard the aircraft were officially declared missing in action. The search continued. Finally on 17 May 1969, som 2 1/2 months later, information was received that a CAS Guerrilla Team had located a crashed C-47 aircraft at UTM grid coordinates XC856-286 on 16 May. The CAS team brought back several items from the aircraft. Among them was a USAF Flight Crew Check List Manual, one page of which was entitled, "Navigators Checklist EC-47, ALR-35." The CAS team reported that the aircraft had burned and there were bodies in it. A 30-man Security Element/Recovery Team was sent to the crash site with instructions to recover bodies, equipment papers, weapons, and any other pertinent items available and then completely destroy the aircraft. However, little could be recovered. Apparently, the aircraft had crashed in an almost vertical position and there was an intense fire. Some portions of the wreckage were a mass of molten metal and one wing was foung 500 meters west of the actual crash site. The Security Element/Recovery Team managed to recover remains of some bodies and parts of others. However, they were unable to determine how many bodies were actually represented in the remains that they recovered. The remains were first sent to Ubon and from there to Tan Son Nhut Air Base Mortuary Officer for possible identification through personnel and medical records. However, identification proved impossible. Consequently, all crew members of C-47 aircraft 45-1133 were officially declared missing in action. The only other items recovered were a gear down lock pin, and EC-47 Navigators checklist, and two Smith and Wesson revolvers. After the recovery of the remains and other items, explosive charges were used to completely destroy the remaining hulk of the aircraft.
The unofficial paragraph below was supplied by Bob Garlits on 29 October, 2000. Thanks Bob. I was at Pleiku when she went down. Some of us had just been transferred up from TSN for manning augmentation. There was a gap in the AAA along the trail the day of their mission and I believe it was the next day that gap was filled with an 87mm site. (On the mission briefing map) That's one reason for my great "love" for Jane Fonda sitting on that NVA piece. It's been a long time, but I think AAA is a better explanation for their crash than an engine fire. I was on board a bird with an engine fire and believe me, we had plenty of time to make a radio call. Also, the extinguishers put it right out. Just thought you might want to know this info. Bob Garlits
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