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Cargo capacity question


Bluehawk
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I came across something that has me puzzled and questioning the veracity or completeness of the report. Here is the quote:

 

"A Fairchild C-123K Provider (tail number 55-4574) call sign "Bookie 102" was en route to Nha Trang AB from Tan Son Nhut AB when it struck trees on a ridge at an elevation of 4600 feet, some 500 feet below the top. It crashed at 1330 in the hills west of Cam Ranh Bay, 25 km (15.6 mls) SW of Nha Trang Airport. Weather was poor with a broken overcast at 2000 feet and 1500 m visibility. The wreckage was found nine days after the accident.

 

79 people were killed in the crash,

 

5 USAF personnel from the 19th Tactical Airlift Squadron:

Major Robert L. Baker

1st Lt. Marvin S. Arthington

1st Lt. Frederick M. Rader

TSgt. William B. O'Kieff

Sgt Allen J. Bodin

 

1 USAF from the 600th Photographic Squadron:

A1C Frederick R. Neef

 

South Vietnamese Troops:

73 ARVIN soldiers"

 

I worked on the Bookie almost 3 years and never did I see anything close to 79 total humans of any size in that cargo area. I suppose it is possible, but 60 give or take was our official maximum.

 

The report states "73 ARVN soldiers" were aboard and lost that day (27 Nov 70). If they were in there without ANY combat gear, it would still be a real stretch to imagine this, even if they were all standing for the flight and some number of them placed on the ramp in the UP position.

 

What am I missing?

post-3976-1290879859.jpg

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No troop seats and crammed in nuts-to-butts on the floor?

I reckon... something of that sort.

 

Wish I could find out what the mission was. It surely sounds like troop movement from garrison to somewhere...

 

Just wrapping my brain around the concept of 79 people in that rather small hold... does not seem possible or likely.

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Cobrahistorian

Blue,

 

Unlikely, sure, but I bet they did do it on occasion. I've seen photos of a lot more guys than should have been aboard a Chinook crammed in like that in Vietnam.

 

Jon

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A buddy of mine was a C-123 loadmaster and he says such a load of ARVN troops was not unusual; he sat them on the floor, butts to nuts. Then, time permitting, he ran a strap across each row of soldiers as a sort of giant lap belt!

 

~Will

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El Bibliotecario

An airborne buddy told me that when a Dodge 3/4's parachute failed to open, the subsequent report of survey listed every piece of lost or missing equipment in the unit as having been loaded on the demolished truck. This makes me wonder if CWO Nu, the ARVN personnel officer, recognized a golden opportunity to write off his AWOL cousins and nephews, and perhaps get them pensions.

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