1975 Tân Sơn Nhứt C-5 accident
The wreckage of the C-5 | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 April 1975 |
| Summary | Explosive decompression due to improper maintenance leading to explosion of cargo door |
| Site | Near Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, South Vietnam 10°50′14.99″N 106°41′30.59″E / 10.8374972°N 106.6918306°E |
| Aircraft | |
| A United States Air Force C-5 Galaxy, similar to the aircraft involved | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed C-5A Galaxy |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Registration | 68-0218 |
| Flight origin | Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, South Vietnam |
| Destination | Clark Air Base, Philippines |
| Occupants | 314 |
| Passengers | 285 |
| Crew | 29 |
| Fatalities | 138 |
| Injuries | 176 |
| Survivors | 176 |
On 4 April 1975, a Lockheed C-5A Galaxy participating in the first mission of Operation Babylift crashed on approach during an emergency landing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. The cause was ascribed to loss of flight control due to explosive decompression and structural failure. The accident marked the second operational loss and first fatal crash for the C-5 Galaxy fleet, and is the third deadliest accident involving a U.S. military aircraft after the 1968 Kham Duc C-130 shootdown and Arrow Air Flight 1285R.