Date 24th August in 1965 Fatalities 59 Number of deaths 59 Passenger count 65 | Passengers 65 Survivors 12 Survivor 12 Crew count 6 | |
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Summary Loss of control due to engine failure Site Kai Tak International Airport (HKG/VHHH) in British Hong Kong Operator United States Marine Corps | ||
A United States Marines Corps (USMC) Lockheed KC-130F Hercules, ferrying a group of US marines back to South Vietnam from rest-and-relaxation leave in then-British Hong Kong, crashed on take-off, causing a total of 59 deaths out of all 71 (both the flight-crew and the passengers) onboard the aircraft on the 24th of August in 1965.
Contents
The accident
The accident began after the aircraft, a USMC Lockheed KC-130F Hercules (Bu.No.149802), veered left shortly after take-off and struck a sea-wall and then crashed and plunged into the waters surrounding Kai Tak Airport's runway at a distance of 40 ft (12 m) off Hong Kong Island.
Cause
The cause of the accident regarding the aircraft's crash was attributed to a partial failure of the No.1 engine during the plane's take-off from the runway.