25 April to 24 May 2000 dated June 2000....

FM CDR JTFFA HONOLULU HI//J31//

SUBJ/DETAILED REPORT OP EXCAVATION OF CASE 0489

1. SUMMARY REPORT OF THE 60Th JOINT FIELD ACTIVITY (JFA) CONDUCTED IN SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM (SRV) FROM 25 APRIL THROUGH 24 MAY 2000.


E IS TIlE AW~LYSIS OF MATERIAL EVIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH CASE 0489 CONDUCTED DURING THE 43RD JFk.

F. REF F IS THE DETAILED REPORT OF EXCAVATION OF CASE 0489 CONDUCTED DURING THE 51ST JFk.

G. REF 0 IS THE CORRECTED COPY OF THE DETAILED REPORT OF EXCAVATION OF CASE 0489 CONDUCTED DURING THE 59Th JFA -

H. REF F MAP DATA: NAME: PHONG BAI; SHEET: 6147 IV SERIES: L7014; EDITION: 2-AMS; SCALE: 1:50,000: INDIAN DATUM 1960.

2 - SUMMARY OF EXCAVATION.

A. CASE 0489: PROM 27 APRIL THROUGH 16 MAY 2000 DURING TEE 60TH JFk, RECOVERY ELEMENT FIVE (R25) CONTINUED EXCAVATION OF A CRASH SITE ASSOCIATED WITH CASE
0489 NEAR &GHIA PIIU VILLAGE. NGHIA DAN DISTRICT, NGHE AN PROVINCE, 5kV. RES EXCAVATED APPROXIMATELy 288 SQUARE METERS - RES RECOVERED POSSIBLE ~liUMAN REMAINS MULTIPLE
PIECES OF LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT, AND IWMEROtIS FRAGMKNTS OF AIRCRAFT WREC1CAGE - THE TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST. IN CONStJLTATION WITH THE TEAM LEADER, CLOSED THE SITE ON
16 MAY 2000. ON 31 MAY 2000, THE JOINT FORENSIC REVIEW TEAM SELECTED THESE REMAINS FOR REPATRIATION TO THE UNITED STATES.

B. TEAM COMPOSITION:

(1) U.S. CONTINGENT.

NAME BLACKED OUT U.S.. CONTINGENT:

CPT NAME BLACKED OUT TEAM LEADER

SSC NAME BLACKED OUT TEAM SERGEANT

MS NAME BLACKED OUT TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST

SSGT NAME BLACKED OUT ANALYST/LINGUIST

SSG NAME BLACKED OUT MORTUARY AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

SSG NAME BLACKED OUT MORTUARY AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

SSG NAME BLACKED OUT MORTUARY AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

SSG NAME BLACKED OUT TEAM MEDIC

MSGT NAME BLACKED OUT EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL (EOD) TECHNICIAN

TSGT NAME BLACKED OUT LIFE SUPPORT TECHNICIAN

SGT NAME BLACKED OUT TEAM PHOTOGRAPHER

SSGT NAME BLACKED OUT COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

(2) VIETNAMESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTINGENT:

DO VAN MINH (DDOON VAWN MINH) TEAM LEADER

NGUYEN HONG NAM (NGUYEEN HOANG NAM) TEAM MEMBER

NGUYEN CHI LIEN (NGUYEEN CHIS LIEEN) TEAM MMEMBER

NGUYEN TEI THOA (NGUYEEN THIV THOA) TEAM MEMBER

LE THANH DONG (LEE THANH LONG) TEAM MEMBER

(3) NGHE AN PROVINCE TASK TEAM:

NGO SY HAW (NGOO SYX HAAUV) TEAM LEADER

HOANG DUE CUONG (HOANG DUUES CUWOWNG) TEAM MEMBER

TRAN CONG (TRAANF COONG) TEAM LEADER

VO VAN THAO (VOX VAWN THAO) TEAM LEADER

VI KIM BUNG (VI KIM BUWNGS) TEAM LEADER

(4) NGHIA DAN DISTRICT TASK TEAM~

HO CONG SON (HOOF COONG SOWN) TEAM LEADER

HOANG VAN DUNG (HOANGF VAAN DUNG) TEAM LEADER

LE VAN TliIEU (LEE VAWN THIEEV) TEAM LEADER

(5) NGI{IA PEU VILLA.GE TASK TEAM:

PHAM QUANG TOAN (PHAMV QUANG TOAN$) TEAM LEADER

IIOANG VAN THIEU (HOANGF VANH THIEUV) TEAM LEADER

3. BACKGROUND.

A. THIS CASE INVOLVES THE LOSS OF AN A-1H AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING AN ARMED RECONNAISSANCE MISSION OVER NORTHERN VIETNAM ON 8 OCTOBER 1966, RESULTING IN ONE
UNACCOUNTED- FOR INDIVIDUAL.

B. ON 26 OCTOBER 1993, INVESTIGATION ELEMENT TWO (IE2) INVESTIGATED CASE 0489 IN XUAN BINH VILLAGE, NHU XUAN DISTRICT, THANH HOA PROVINCE. 1E2 SURVEYED THE INCIDENT LOCATION FOR CASE 0489. THE TEAM DID NOT RECOVER ANY REMAINS OR PERSONAL EFFECTS, NOR FIND ANY EVIDENCE OP A PLANE CRASH IN THE AREA (REF B) -

C. ON 3. NOVEMBER 1995, THE PROVINCE TASK TEAM INFORMED INVESTIGATION ELEMENT ONE (IE1) THAT THEY CANVASSED BO LAN (BOO LAAN) HAMLET, XUAN THAI (XUAANS THAIR) VILLAGE AND THANH KY (THANH KYS) VILLAGE WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. THE PROVINCE TASK TEAM AND THE VIETNAMESE OFFICE FOR SEEKING MISSING PERSONS (VNOSMP) TEAM MEMBERS GAVE IE1 A REPORT OF THEIR CANVASSING EFFORTS. IE1 DID NOT RECOVER OR RECEIVE ANY REMAINS OR MATERIAL EVIDENCE WHILE INVESTIGATING THIS CASE (REF C).

D. ON 27 NOVEMBER 1996, IE1 TRAVELED TO NGHIA PHU VILLAGE, NGHIA DAN DISTRICT, NGHE AN PROVINCE AND INTERVIEWED TWO WITNESSES WITH POSSIBLE INFORMATION CONCERNING CASE 0489. WITNESS ONE LED IE1 TO A CRASH SITE. IE1 SURVEYED THE SITE AND RECEIVED NUMEROUS PIECES OF AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE (REF D).

E. ON 27 NOVEMBER 1996, A JOINT U.S../SRV TEAM INVESTIGATED A SUSPECTED A-lH CRASH SITE AT GRID COORDINATES 48Q WG 592 438 IN NGHE AN PROVINCE, SRV. JTFF-FA ANALYSIS INDICATES THE ITEMS RECOVERED CAN NOT BE CORRELATED TO A SPECIFIC AIRCRAFT TYPE OR CASE (REF E).

F. FROM 26 JUNE THROUGH 04 JULY 1998, DURING THE 51ST JFA, RECOVERY ELEMENT ONE (RE1) BEGAN EXCAVATION OF AN AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE BELIEVED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH CASE 0489 IN IN NGHIA DAN DISTRICT, NGHE AN PROVINCE, SRV. RE1 OPENED THREE OUT OF 12 5X5 METER GRID UNITS. THE TEAM CLOSED NONE OF THE UNITS. EEl RECOVERED NUMEROUS PIECES OF AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE AND TWO PIECES OF LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. THE TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TEAM LEADER, SUSPENDED THE EXCAVATION ON 04 JULY DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER AND THE BEGINNING OF THE RAINY SEASON IN NGHE AN PROVINCE. THE TEAM RECO)Y4ENDED THIS PROJECT AREA FOR FURTHER EXCAVATION DURING THE DRY SEASON (REF F).

G. FROM 28 FEBRUARY THROUGH 18 MARCH 2000, DURING THE 59TH JFA, RECOVERY ELEMENT FOUR (RE4) CONTINUED EXCAVATION OF AN AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE ASSOCIATED WITH CASE 0489 NEAR NGUIA PHU VILLAGE, NGHIA DAN DISTRICT, NGHE AN PROVINCE, SRV. RE4 OPENED 14 OUT OF 29 4-X-4-METER GRID UNITS. RE4 CLOSED ONE UNIT. RE4 RECOVERED POSSIBLE HUMAN REMAINS, TWO PERSONAL EFFECTS, NUMEROUS PIECES OF LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT, AND MULTIPLE FRAGMENTS OF AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. THE TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TEAM LEADER, SUSPENDED THE EXCAVATION ON 18 MARCH DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS AT THE CLOSE OF THE 59TH JFA. THE SITE WAS LEFT OPEN. IN ADDITION. RE4 PLACED ONE UNIT OUTSIDE THE SITE BOUNDARY ON 12 MARCH, DUE TO WITNESS INFORMATION RELATING TO POSSIBLE REMAINS. RE4 EXCAVATED THE UNIT TO STERILE SOIL. THE TEAM RECOMMENDED THE PROJECT AREA FOR FUTURE EXCAVATION IN THE DRY SEASON.

4. PROJECT LOCATION.

A. VICINITY OF NGHIA PHU VILLAGE, NGHIA DAN DISTRICT. NGHE AN PROVINCE, SRV. GRID COORDINATES: THE PROJECT AREA IS AT 48Q WG 595 440, AS DETERMINED BY A GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) RECEIVER TRACKING SIX SATELLITES ON THE INDIAN SPECIAL DATUM.

C. MAP: NAME: PHONG BAI; SHEET~ 6147 IV ; EDITION: 2-AMS; SERIES: L7014; SCALE: 1:50,000; HORIZONTAL DATUM: INDIAN DATUM, 1960.

5. DESCRIPTION OP PROJECT AREA.

A. TO ACCESS THE CASE 0489 PROJECT AREA, THE TEAM TRAVELED BY VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR FROM A GUESTHOUSE IN NGHIA DAN FOLLOWED BY A 5-MINUTE WALK. THE SITE IS LOCATED IN A CULTIVATED SUGAR CANE FIELD. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PROJECT AREA HAD BEEN FILLED IN, CULTIVATED AND REPLANTED WITH SUGAR CANE IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN THE 59TH AND 60Th JFA LEAVING VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE OF PAST EXCAVATIONS. DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE SITE ON THE WEST SIDE ARE THREE BOMB CRATERS. SURROUNDING THE SITE ON ALL FOUR SIDES ARE CULTIVATED HILLS OF SUGAR CANE, CORN AND PEANUTS.

B. SOIL STRATIGRAPHY OF THE PROJECT AREA CONSISTS OF A RICH ORANGE-BROWN TOPSOIL OF APPROXIMATELY 20 CENTIMETERS ABOVE A LAYER OP DARKER ORANGE-BROWN SILTY CLAY OF VARIABLE DEPTH. WITHIN THIS STRATUM IS A DISTINCT GRAVEL LAYER WHICH IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE SITE IN ALL UNDISTURBED AREAS. BENEATH THIS LAYER IS REDDISH-BROWN SHALE BEDROCK OF VARIABLE DEPTH WHICH IS STERILE.

6. FIELD METHODS.

A. THE PROJECT AREA HAD BEEN COMPLETELY BACKFILLED, CULTIVATED AND REPLANTED WITH SUGARCANE SINCE THE EXCAVATION ON THE 59Th JFA. IN ADDITION, THE VIETNAMESE HAD REMOVED AND ALLEGEDLY DETONATED THE TWO 500 LB BOMBS DISCOVERED AND LEFT IN PLACE DURING THE 59TH JFA. DUE TO THE BACKFILLING OF THE ENTIRE PRO3ECT AREA, THE EXTENT OF DISTURBANCE CAUSED BY REMOVING THE BOMBS WAS UNKNOWN.
A REMNANT OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER PROM THE 59TH JFA WAS STILL VISIBLE. NO PERMANENT DATUM MARKER WAS LEFT BY THE 59TH JFA THEREFORE THE TEAM USED THE SOUTHEAST CORNER TO BUILD THE NORTH-SOUTH AND EAST-WEST BASELINE FOR THIS EXCAVATION.

B. RE5 PUT IN PLACE A GRID SYSTEM COMPOSED OF 33. 4 X 4-METER UNITS WHICH FULLY ENCOMPASSED AND EXPANDED TO THE NORTH, EAST AND SOUTH ON THE PROJECT AREA DEFINED DURING THE 59TH JFA. THE EXPANSION OP THE PROJECT AREA WAS NECESSITATED IN SOME LOCATIONS BY THE RECOVERY OF POSSIBLE HUMAN REMAINS AND LIFE SUPPORT DURING THE 59TH JFA - THE TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST DESIGNATED THE PROJECT DATUM TO BE N500/ES00, WHICH IS IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE PROJECT AREA. DURING THE EXCAVATION, WALLS OF THE 59TH JFA WERE REVEALED AND IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MAP THE EXACT OVERLAY OF THE TWO EXCAVATIONS. THE TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST FOUND THE GRID UNITS TO BE OFF APPROXIMATELY 40 CENTIMETERS NORTH-SOUTH AND 70 CENTIMETERS EAST-WEST.

C. RE5 CONDUCTED A METAL DETECTOR SWEEP OP THE PROJECT AREA BY THE EXPLOSIVES ORDNANCE DISPOSAL (HOD) TECHNICIAN. BASED ON THE CRATER DEFINITION ESTABLISHED DURING THE 59TH JFA. THE TEAM CONCENTRATED ON THE AREA WHERE THE SECOND WING WOULD MOST PROBABLY BE LOCATED IN ATTEMPTS OP LOCATING ANY ADDITIONAL 500 LB ORDNANCE. SEVERAL STRONG HITS WERE BTAINED IN THIS AREA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PROJECT AREA SOIL HAS INCLUSIONS OF MANGANESE AND IRON WHICH ARE ALSO PICKED UP BY THE METAL DETECTOR AND COMPOUND THE DETECTION PROCESS.

D. RE5 EXCAVATED THE SITE USING PICK AXES, SHOVELS, HOES, AND TROWELS BY STRIPPING THE TOPSOIL TO CULTURALLY STERILE SOIL. THE TEAM SCREENED ALL EXCAVATED SOIL THROUGH QUARTER-INCH (1/4-INCH) WIRE MESH SCREENS. AMERICAN TRAM MEMBERS EXAMINED THE CONTENTS OP EACH SCREEN. THE TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST INSPECTED ALL MATERIALS BELIEVED TO BE OSSEOUS REMAINS AND RETAINED THE SAME FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. THE LIFE SUPPORT TECHNICIAN(LST)EXAMINED ALL POSSIBLE LIFE SUPPORT EQUIPMENT AND RETAINED THE SAME FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.

E. THE TEAM PHOTOGRAPHED THE PROJECT AREA PRIOR TO, DURING, AND UPON COMPLETION OF EXCAVATION.

7. ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS.

A. RE5 EXCAVATED APPROXIMATELY 288 SQUARE METERS TO CULTURALLY STERILE SOIL DURING THE CURRENT PROJECT AND RECOVERED POSSIBLE SKELETAL AND DENTAL REMAINS FROM TWO GRID UNITS (N508/E508 AND N500/E512 RESPECTIVELY. RE5 RECOVERED THE POSSIBLE DENTAL REMAINS PROM WITHIN THE IMPACT CRATER BOUNDARIES AT A DEPTH OF APPROXIMATELY 1.1 METERS. THE TEAM RECOVERED THE POSSIBLE SKELETAL REMAINS FROM WITHIN THE TOPSOIL STRATUM (APPROXIMATE DEPTH OF 20 CENTIMETERS) IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO WHERE THE TEAM RECOVERED HUMAN REMAINS DURING THE 59TH JFA APPROXIMATELY EIGHT METERS SOUTH OF THE CRATER.

B. RE5 RECOVERED MULTIPLE FRAGMENTS OF LIFE-SUPPORT EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS NUMEROUS PIECES OF SMALL UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE -

8. MATERIAL EVIDENCE:

A. THE TEAM RECOVERED THE FOLLOWING AIRCREW RELATED ITEMS:

(1) PIECES OF LIFE PRESERVER OR RAFT MATERIAl,..

(2) TWO .38 CALIBER CASING.

(3) ONE POSSIBLE RESTRAINT ATTACHMENT BUCKLE.

B. THE TEAM RECOVERED THE FOLLOWING AIRCRAFT RELATED ITEMS:

(1) DATA PLATE WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

PEERLESS ?TIT. PROD.
DIV OF
ALTER LANSING CORP.
LOS. ANGELES, CALIF.
TRANSFORMER
SPEC. 5878
SER. NO. 3884
D.A.C. 3384179

(2) DATA PLATE WITH THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

WARNING
SIMULTANEOUS INSTALLATION
OF PULLOUT CABLES ON
FWD & AFT STRA??ES DISC
RECPS MAY CAUSE FEEDBACK.
UNUSED PULLOUT CABLES
MUST BE REMOVED
DATAPLATE - 2674478

(3) ONE PIECE OF UNIDENTIFIED METAL WITH NUMBERS:
4261663-500
(4) ONE PIECE OF METAL WITH NUMBERS: ?-1555912

9. LIFE SUPPORT ANALYST COMMENTS; FIELD ANALYSIS INDICATES THE ITEMS RECOVERED ARE CONSISTENT WITH AN A-I AIRCRAFT, BUT CANNOT BE CORRELATED TO A SPECIFIC MODEL OR THE CASE 0489 INCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE RECOVERY OF THE LIFE PRESERVER OR RAFT MATERIAL INDICATES AT LEAST ONE INDIVIDUAL WAS IN THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.

10. ANALYST/LINQUIST COMMENTS. NONE.

11. EOD TECHNICIAN COMMENTS. THE TEAM RECOVERED EIGHTEEN 20MM HE PROJECTILES. SEVEN OF THE PROJECTILES STILL HAD THE FUZES ATTACHED. THE OTHER ELEVEN HAD THE FUZES BROKEN OFF. THE PROJECTILES WERE RUSTED AND NO MARKINGS WERE VISIBLE. THE FUZE TYPE APPEARED TO BE POINT DETONATING. THE TEAM MOVED ALL 18 PROJECTILES TO A SAFE AREA APPROXIMATELY 100 METERS FROM THE SITE AND IDENTIFIED IT TO THE VIETNAMESE OFFICIALS.

12. ANTHROPOLOGIST CONCLUS ION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

A. THE AREA OF EXCAVATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF AN A- 1H AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING AN ARMED RECONNAISSANCE MISSION OVER NORTHERN VIETNAM ON 8 OCTOBER 1966, RESULTING IN ONE UNACCOUNTED-FOR INDIVIDUAL.

B. R35 RECOVERED POSSIBLE HUMAN SKELETAL AND DENTAL REMAINS DURING THE CURRENT PROJECT.

C. POSSIBLE LIFE-SUPPORT AND AIRCRAFT RELATED ITEMS RECOVERED CANNOT BE CORRELATED, BASED ON FIELD ANALYSIS, WITH THE CASE 0489 AIRCRAFT OR INDIVIDUAL.

D. THE TEAM DISCOVERED NO ADDITIONAL 500 LB ORDNANCE DURING THE 60TH JFA. IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE ORDNANCE WERE EITHER SCAVENGED OR POSSIBLY DETONATED AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED ThAT ACCORDING TO WITNESS TESTIMONY, THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED FROM THE EAST AND IMPACTED IN AM ALMOST VERTICAL MANNER. THE LAST TRANSMISSION PROM THE AIRCRAFT WAS THAT THE RIGHT WING WAS ON FIRE. THE ORIENTATION OF THE CRASH CRATER AND THE LOCATION OF THE ORDNANCE DISCOVERED ON THE 59TH JFA (SOUTHWEST ASPECT OP THE IMPACT CRATER) WOULD BE INDICATIVE OF A LEFT WING AND THE SECOND WING (PRESUMABLY NORTHEAST ASPECT OF THE IMPACT CRATER) WOULD THEREFORE BE CONFIGURED AS THE RIGHT.

E. ON 16 MAY 2000, THE TEAM ANTHROPOLOGIST, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE TEAM LEADER. COMPLETED THE EXCAVATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED THE SITE. NO FURTHER EXCALVATION IS RECOMMENDED.

13. TEAM LEADER COMMENTS.

A. CONCLUSIONS: CONCUR WITH TEAM ANTHROPOLOGISTS COMMENTS.

B. HOST GOVERNMENT COOPERATION/SUPPORT: EXCELLENT ON ALL LEVELS.

14. DETACHMENT COMMANDER'S COMMENTS. NONE.