Bien Hoa Air Base Vietnam May 16 1965 Conflagration / Fire

[jaflaskey]

My dad was in that first plane that exploded. He was much loved and we miss him still.

[BobGV]

5 Sep 2009 Just saw this video for the first time today and did not know it existed. I was USAF and attached to the 34th TAC group and was a firefighter with the crash rescue unit on base. I left in just before Christmas in 1964 but a number of my friends were there during the conflagration. Years later, I didn't see any familiar names on "The Wall" for that night so I guess they all made it thru. It was great to see the old O-11A crash trucks in action again. Memories...mostly good ones.

[jebrraka]

I was there that day. About a dozen B-57's loaded and ready for a morning takeoff in the alert area. the 1st one had a malfunction in its starting system which resulted in it exploding and each of the others going up and throwing off their bombs all over the place. A rubber bladder of jet fuel also detonated and was flowing down the taxiway. Lost about 30 folks and about the same number of planes, B-57's, A1E's and H's and a Navy F8.

[cyberarmy007]

Ugly business !!!

[kiddingme00]

I was at Bien Hoa from mid 68-69 with the 604th ACS. We heard about this, but thats about it. I think I saw the movie in weapons school in Denver.

[kiddingme00]

I was at Bien Hoa in 1968-69. I saw a similar video at weapons school. I got to fly in VNAF A-1 skyraiders and F-5s. We heard about the explosion, but saw no sign of it. It sounded really bad.

[rockangel1967]

i heard that they lost also two F18 and a apache helicopter then.

[ATFSCrash]

rockangel1967: What the heck are you talking about? Are you trying to tell me that someone claimed that 2 F-18 hornets and an Apache were destroyed in this mishap? Whom did you hear it from? An inebriated Fascist Liberal? The F-18 had not even reached the drawing board on the date of this mishap. The Apache wasn't even proposed until years after this mishap.

[twobazzar]

I think your wrong...it was four F14 TOMCATS three F18 hornets and two F22 RAPTORS....LOL

[BarnsyPAL]

I am in vietnam at the moment and have been to this base. Its called A-42. We have equired a number of Skyraider Blades, 3350 engines and a countless number of spare parts.

Now just have to find the buyers. :)

I did not see any remains of this atack, Though in saying that, the generals are very strict to where you can explore...

I will be going back within the month so i will make a video response.

[gerry301]

Anybody know if "Louie" was there at that time? "Louie" was an 'ole yeller' looking dog that would come out and start howling everytime we had a rocket or mortar attack.

He was getting old when I arrived at Bien Hoa in 1972, and we shipped him to Thailand as they were killing any stray dogs. "Louie " was well known and very much admired for his bravery.

[muslivn]

since 1950 My family was living very closing with Bien Hoa Air Base, from my house can see all air force I was born on 1977 i can not see US Military

[yoyoofloco]

What they think happened is a M123 or M132 bomb fuse was cross threaded and the armorer tried to remove it. That fuse has an anti-withdrawal feature which would have set it off. Also other bombs that were fused with these type fuses would go in the resulting fire. The Airforce EOD team went in and tried to disarm and remove the fuses. The entire team was killed.

[wrhester]

amazing...didn't know about this..my dad was stationed there about 3 yrs later

[12sps]

What is described by the United States government as "an accidental explosion of a bomb on one aircraft which spread to others" at the Bien Hoa air base leaves 27 U.S. servicemen and 4 South Vietnamese dead and some 95 Americans injured. More than 40 U.S. and South Vietnamese planes, including 10 B-57s, were destroyed.

[dizzy0056]

my oldest brother served 2 stints at Bien Hoa AFB from 1964-68 and was there during this particular rocket attack, he lost many of his buddies and he was never the same after returning home in 68. His name: Sgt Michael W Dismuke, my understanding he loaded rockets on Hueys and bombs on planes. From his letters, they rocketed that base nearly every night. He died yesterday taking his own life at 62, so maybe he really is in a much better place. Thank you so much for posting this.

[ATFSCrash]

dizzy0056: Allegedly this mishap was not found to be from enemy fire. I think the base was fired on many times, but not the day of this mishap. I think this mishap was found to be a bomb prematurely detonated. I think it was a handling error. (Not from enemy fire).

[yoyoofloco]

You are correct. Read my post.

[mule98j]

I was there that day, 173'd. We were on perimeter to the north of the runways. At first we thought it was a mortar attack. Later we learned that the explosions started when a starting procedure on one of the aircraft malfunctioned. Bombs on some of the aircraft began to explode, then hundreds of barrels of JP4 went up like an A-bomb. Pieces of aircraft and ordnance rained down. I went down to help. EOD men blew up unexploded bombs for a couple of days. I shot dogs, our medics helped the wounded.

[headley62]

This was my third birthday. My dad took me out and let me pick out my very own peddle car. I chose a black one. I have never seen a black peddle car other than the one I had. Very happy memory.

Jim

[agricolae101]

why do your 2 sources, as you cite say different quantities of destroyed aircraft?

[bienwah]

Thanks for posting this. similar to what I took of this incident. I worked in an old VN hangar as heavy equip mechanic. This was close to the Husky pad too. I was almost blown out of my rack that morning, got my fatigues/boots on and grabbed my AR-15, camera a boogied down to the shop. All the walls were blown out of my shop, bombs, etc going off. It took awhile for things to settle down, then maybe, the next day we went out to do the FOD 'walk'. I still have a piece of melted aluminum(nono?.

[livardo]

Very interesting reading the accounts from people that were there. War is hell, thank you for your service (from a Canuck working in NJ)

[sgtegart]

WOW! How come I've never heard about this before? I'm a VietNam vet and went thru Bien Hoa on my way to my assignment in country.Looks like a bad day for all concerned!

[oldvetnam]

There was a lot of men going through each day, it didnot last but about 2 days, into the early morning hours of the next. So I am sure a lot of troops thankfully missed it.

A real mess. Old Vet

[oldvetnam]

I was there during the Bien Hoa mishap. We had bombs going off all day, that were hot,from various. Some time delay fuses on some of the bombs blowed all over the runway went off 3 days, 20mms filled the air the first day. We had two chow halls we used as hospitals,Tables turned into temporary beds, burns, schrapnel, all types of wounds. Does anyone out there know how many men we lost? I know it was over a 100 wounded. oldvetnam

[oldvetnam]

I am replying to my own posting. Is there anyone out there that knows how many were killed and wounded? Count? You had to be there to see what a real mess it was, people and equipment.oldvetnam

[ATFSCrash]

As said in the video description and links.

"Forty aircraft were destroyed, 26 Americans killed, and over 60 wounded."

As normal I think there is some apparent minor discrepancy on the figures. IE preliminary and final counts or how the figures are tallied. Some wounded might have later died, and some aircraft might have been later written off due to damage.

[icunowlibra]

great comments, wow. thanks

[18SOSSTINGER]

I was there in 71 with Stinger gunship and Spectre C-130. Shot-off about 15,000 rounds, then headed for DaNang.

[ronaldcherry]

I was there May 16 1965 8AM. Not til 11AM did we find out it was an accident. Base mailman Cherry.Very scary.

[Darknamja]

I worked for an old TSgt who survived this incident. Thus the advent of QD and revetments between parked and loaded aircraft and the priciple of exposing the minimal amount of people to the minimal amount of munitions.

[droof82]

Was there in a bunker outside 118th Avn. Co.Maint. hanger.

We did not know what started it until later.

Do not remember how much later. Many rumors about a VC mortar attack.

[2816uoc]

LOST some friends that day.Thanks and well done.

[saigonpunkid]

Aircrafts destroyed: 10 B-57, 11 A-1 of theRVN air force, 1 F-8 Navy.

[JokerKidd4life]

My dad fought in that war and was shot in the leg with a rocket bomb.Its still in his leg 2.

[hjlkfhyjdl]

u must be a joker,kid

[fmulder082]

Hey, flyboyII! at 0:49, it's possibly an A-1E Skyraider. pilots sit side by side.

[countrykenrs]

I was stationed at Da Nang when this incident occurred and we redeployed to Bien Hoa to replace the aircraft lost . This incident was NOT a function of hostile action. A B-57 armed with 6 fused 750 lb bombs attempted to perform a "cart" start and caught fire in the process. Many of the B-57s and some of the A-1s were armed. The fire in the first aircraft probably detonated one of the bombs high order and the ensuing shock wave detonated other bombs and ignited fuel in nearby aircraft.

[ATFSCrash]

Thanks for your information/confirmation and service to our country and to try to help Vietnam.

When I first posted it I wasn't sure what caused the mishap, but with a little research I was able to find some of the story, showing that it was an accident. That didn't stop the Baghdad Bob types from trying to claim it was from enemy action. ;)

[ctcook123]

I was the flight surgeon/MOD on duty when the explosions started and served on the aircraft accident investigation board. I did not realize these videos existed and needless to say was quite excited to see them.

Do you know if there is any more footage, film, DVDs available of this accident, or do you know where this video came from? I would be very interested in obtaining as much as I could get.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks in advance.

CT Cook, MD

[saigonpunkid]

I was told the propeller of the B-57 disintegrated and ignited its armaments, causing a domino effect on the runway. Is it right?

[Sanderniet]

I very much dount it; the B-57 is a jet aircraft.

[TheNorthtexan]

B-57s were jet engined,, no props that I saw. I was there and my buddies loaded the bombs and such.

[petcherb]

I was there on that day. I was aSuper Spad mech and you are right it was a accident from a B57. We were shocked at first then ran like hell for the bunkers. Hot bombs were set off for days after

[bobswire]

I had just gotten off security duty half an hour before all hell blew loose. 34th APS. It is amazing after searching for information on this event for over 40 years it finally surfaces on youtube.

[flyboyII]

dude at 0:49 is that a two seater 'raider?

[ATFSCrash]

I don't know that much about the A-1 but it does look like a two-seat version, possibly even a three-seat version.

[gerodinis]

Of course there were two-seat versions, mainly for electronic countermeasures, as well as three-seat and even four-seat for night attacks. (man, 4-seat skyraider! sounds comfortless!)

[petcherb]

The A1e was a two seater with space for two more in the blue room the A1h was the single seater

[SkipW]

Your TAX dollars at WORK !

[wrh61]

anybody up for a FOD walk ...?

[kkkssskkkssskkksss]

LOL! Better bring a big bag...

[frozenwizard]

nah TO's are useless there, that why knowing whats in them is key. save teh airplane is priority

[Icepacalapse]

My dad flew 100 missions in the skyraider.

Doesn't take fire too well, though.

[youarthurhu]

Skyraider is much better than other fighter types because it does have armour all over it. That's why it stuck around and the faster P-51 and F4U were retired. Only the A-10 really replaced it, and we're still flying essentially a bigger and faster A-1.

[Icepacalapse]

When I said fire, I meant literally fire as in burning. I guess I should have thought about the wording.

[petcherb]

They could carry 8'000 lbs of bombs and stay over target for a long time. The VC hated the "SUPER SPADS" as we called them.

[papacon]

that's my city man ...

[tomthetomcat]

Cool that nowadays one can share such important historical material so easily - Thanks.

[leqdung85]

Bien Hoa is second biggest air base in Viet Nam and very important of US army. At that time, US army had much powerful but finaly They LOST in VIET NAM war.

[ATFSCrash]

Vietnam was a stalemate for the US. The US forced a ceasefire and pulled out its combat troops. NV kept violating the treaty. SV defended itself but collapsed after congress withdrew funding to SV. US won virtually all the military battles, but lost the political war. March 29, 1973, the last U.S. combat troops pulled out, Saigon didn't fall till April 30, 1975

[youarthurhu]

And many want to pull out of Iraq now because we can't sustain the loss of a dozen or so people a week.

[Miksa]

Do you have any more information about this fire? Where it happened, what caused it, damages?

[ATFSCrash]

I added the information to the video description. I had to do a little research, I was vague on the details, and had no firsthand knowledge of the incident, as I was still wet behind the ears when this mishap took place.

[ironroad18]

The VC mortored and sappered the base, at the time the base was being used for farmgate flights and ARVN logistics and the small groups of ARVN and U.S. there could barely protect the base. This attack and a few other attacks (that occured around the same time.) is what promted the U.S. to send in large scale contigents of ground troops to protect military bases in South Vietnam and eventually escalation into full scale ground operations.

[BigBillDot]

ironroad18 -- wasn't there--but was in the AF at the time this happened. The investigation board said either a 20mm cannon in a B-57 was fired or, more probably, an anti-withdrawal time delay fuse in a loaded bomb went off. There were several B-57 and A-1 aircraft destroyed by this accident. The clip is from a film called "How To Stage a Disaster" which was shown to all us weapons load troops back then.