Case 0343
Summary of 81st Joint Field Activity conducted 29 Oct-4 Nov, 2003 in the Lao People's Democratic Republic
The search was conducted in the Boualapha District, Khammouan Province and was assisted by three Vietnamese witnesses: Mr Hoang Van Loi, Mr Vu Van Tuyen and Mr Nguyen Van Duoc
Mr.Loi was a cook who investigated the crash site out of curosity. Mr.Tuyen was involved in the burial of the two bodies found. Mr Douc also investigated the crash site and was resting in a cave when the insident occured.
Initially the team was brought to the area of origional coordinates looking for the karst and Mr Duoc's cave which was a significant land mark. It was felt that if they could find the cave, they would be able to locate the crash site. After much searching, the three Vietnamese witnesses unanimously agreed that this area was not the correct area. Mr Duoc presented a sketch of his recollection of the crash area. Comparing the sketch with a map, both the teamand the witnesses determined that the area in question was near a karst called Hill 685. Mr Duoc felt the cave was in that Karst.
The team did try aerial reconnaissance of Hill 685 with no success of locating the cave. Dense vegitation around Hill 685 also prohibited a foot search for the cave as well. Still the witnesses felt positive that the crash site was in this area.
The witnesses guided the team down old Rt 20 ( 912) and identified a general area east of the road and a 100 meter x 100 meter was searched. In the northwest corner of the search area,
the team located several miscellaneous unidentified pieces of aircraft wreckage at grid coordinates XE 22079 06177. The wreckage site was on flat ground about 10 meters from a footpath, in dense vegitation. All witnesses were confident that this was the correct location.
The witness were not able to pinpoint the exact burial location but agreed that it was within 30
meters south or north east of the crash site.
Mr Khamphan, a village chieftan of Nong Ma, stated that the Vietnamese had scavenged and taken away most of the wreckage and that the Nong Ma residents did not scavenge the wreckage. The team and the Vietnamese witnesses felt the Ban Nong Ma officials were hampering the search by steering them away from certain areas.
The minimal wreckage at the site was insufficient to determine whether this was the impact point however all witnesses were confident that this area was the general crash site area.
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Beeper signal coordinates:
XE 220 079
and
XE 216 073
ActualCrash coodinates:
XE 22079 06177
Recorded crash site coordinates:
EX 256 083