# Unidentified Wreckage - Vietnam



## GrizBArizona (Jul 27, 2022)

I have been able to ID all crash sites off of the 1965 Air Rescue Reports, SE Asia (from USAF Historical).
They are very clear as to the lost aircraft.

Not this one. See attached.

Just one page, no follow up.

Maybe a WWII wreck?

Handwritten coordinate is 15 45N 107 25E??
There is a scar about 600' SE of there.

But the other info then mentions the wreck on a 6,580' Peak which is completely wrong for that area.

What could this be and why did they not follow up?

All the other reports clearly identified the wrecks as they were crewed. But they did not update this one.


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## GrauGeist (Jul 27, 2022)

There were, and even still are, quite a few WWII aircraft scattered around in Vietnam.

The report mentioned that the wreck appeared to be a transport (C-47, C-123) but from the air, in a war zone and in 1965, they would not have had the time to go in and make a positive ID if it wasn't a SAR mission.

It could have been a G4M, C-41 (or L2D) or any twin that was shot down during the war.


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## GrizBArizona (Jul 29, 2022)

Thank you GrauGeist. I bet you are right. It's an old WWII wreck.

Checking Chris Hobson's book, there is nothing that would match 2 weeks prior to 4 Nov 1965 for that area (for a big twin).

The report gives a map coord of "YC 415 643" but I don't know what map they are using for that.

It says it is on the north side of the only 6,580' peak. Which is probably 10.5 miles NW of the handwritten coordinate (15 45N 107 25E). Here? 15°53'33.23"N 107°21'52.30"E

Must be inland to get up to 6,500'. Or they got the elevation wrong.

Probably never know but it must be an unknown WWII wreck, probably Japanese, because they did not follow up at all. It was not an outstanding, missing crew at that time. Did not warrant further reports even if it was further investigated again because there were no missing US aircraft there.


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## GrizBArizona (Jul 29, 2022)

FYI, these Air Rescue Reports, they have numerous follow-up report pages. For every incident.

Not this one.

Just the one page.


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## FLYBOYJ (Jul 29, 2022)

Interesting stuff!

Something else to think about - if it's not an old wreck, perhaps a "spook" (CIA) aircraft that no one is supposed to know about? A crazy guess but something to think about considering the time frame.

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## GrizBArizona (Jul 29, 2022)

Bet you're right. Air America or the like.

Attached, typical Air Rescue Report, a couple weeks prior. 22 Oct 1965 (same microfilm reel)

Has much more info. And more urgency of course.

RB-66 Destroyer #53-0452. Crew of 3 KIA, night mission. Unknown loss.

Map Coord of YA 848(840?) 775. Again, dont know what map they are using..

The Unknown Twin from 4 Nov 1965 does not get this urgency.

Probably is an old WWII wreck.

??


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## GrauGeist (Jul 29, 2022)

I just looked at the coordinates and was a bit frustrated because clouds are obscuring the site - but I did notice it's right on the Vietnamese/Loatian border.

So it was either a WWII wreck site or a "spook" like Joe mentioned.

I do think, though, that if it were a recent CIA crash site, the report would have gone "missing", no matter how vague, since it lists the location's coordinates.

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## GrizBArizona (Jul 29, 2022)

The CIA Air America aircraft losses were declassified. On the CIA website.
I went through those several years ago, dont think I matched this one up.

These Air Rescue Reports alone are thousands of pages.. The twin engine report was unsolved.

It is probably a WarTwo wreck and the reason no followup was done at that time....in 1965.

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