THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LONG TRIP 041,
DECEMBER 14, 1971:
SERIAL NUMBER 67-18041
Information from web site #1:
PERRY, OTHA LEE:
Name: Otha Lee Perry
Rank/Branch: W2/US Army
Unit: Quartermaster School (QMC), Training Advance Detachment, Training Directorate, MACV
Date of Birth: 11 May 1941 (Memphis TN)
Home City of Record: Detroit MI
Date of Loss: 14 December 1971
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 151835N 1081635E (BU090050)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U21A
Refno: 1783
PERKINS, CECIL CARRINGTON JR.:
Name: Cecil Carrington Perkins, Jr.
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit: Quartermaster School (QMC), Training Advance Detachment, Training
Directorate, MACV
Date of Birth: 26 January 1946 (Baltimore MD)
Home City of Record: Portsmouth VA
Date of Loss: 14 December 1971
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 151835N 1081635E (BU090050)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: U21A
Refno: 1783
SYNOPSIS: On December 14, 1971, CW2 Otha L. Perry, pilot; Capt. Cecil Carrington. Perkins Jr., co–pilot; LtCol. John Boyanowski, Capt. Gregg N. Hollinger, SP4 Dwight A. Bremmer and SSgt. Floyd D. Caldwell [assigned to 220th Aviation Company, Catkillers], passengers; were aboard a U21A aircraft (tail number 18041), call sign 'Long Trip 041, which was lost while flying an administrative mission from Phu Bai to Da Nang, South Vietnam. During the flight, about 15 miles northeast of Da Nang, the aircraft experienced an inflight emergency. The pilot reported that he had lost his number 2 engine, and had a fire. Within minutes after the emergency, both radio and radar contact was lost. The aircraft was never seen or heard from again. Search aircraft proceeded to the last known location of Long Trip 041, but inclement weather and poor visibility curtailed the search.
Extensive searches were conducted for the next three days, but no trace of the aircraft or personnel was ever found. The personnel aboard the aircraft were declared dead, bodies not recoverable. Sixty days of case study was conducted before declaring these men dead. Early along in the war, pilots and crew members had been declared dead because circumstances seemed to dictate that was the case. Later, however, some of these dead pilots turned up in POW camps in North Vietnam, causing a serious effort to commence NOT to declare a man dead if there was a reasonable chance (with or without evidence) that he survived. It is pretty clear that Long Trip ditched. What is not clear from public record, however, is that the crew died. With no proof of death, no proof of life, their families are suspended in tortured uncertainty. Jessie Edwards, mother of Otha Lee Perry says, 'He told me if anything happened not to give up looking for him...no matter how long it's been, I cannot.'
Perry had been a former Green Beret who was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg. He had received 15 major decorations for Vietnam Service, and had served in both South Korea and the Dominican Republic. Like the families of all the crew of Long Trip 041, Jessie Edwards will never give up hope. Information courtesy of VVA 154 & Ruth Babcock
Information from web site #2 (Hollinger):
They were conducting an administrative mission from Hue/Phu Bai Airfield to DaNang Airbase, South Vietnam, which was located 42 miles southeast of their base of departure. The planned flight path was to take Long Trip 041 24 miles due east of Hue/Phu Bai into the Gulf of Tonkin, then the aircraft would make a 90 degree right turn and continue the remaining 19 miles into DaNang Airbase. During the flight, the aircraft experienced an in-flight emergency. CW2 Perry reported to ground control that he had lost his number 2 engine and had a fire. He gave their location and requested search and rescue (SAR) be launched in case they had to ditch. Within minutes after the emergency was declared, both radio and radar contact was lost with the U21A. By the time SAR personnel arrived at the aircraft´s last known position, there was no sign of the U21A or its crew and passengers.
Due to inclement weather and poor visibility all search efforts were curtailed. However, extensive searches were conducted for the next three days, over water and the adjacent shore area, but no trace of the aircraft or personnel was ever found. The last known position placed Long Trip 041 approximately 7 miles east-northeast of Hon Son Cha Island, which is located 1 mile east of the tip of the Vung DaNang peninsula, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. At the time the formal search effort was terminated, Otha Perry, Cecil Perkins, Jon Boyanowski, Dwight Bremmer, Floyd Caldwell and Gregg Hollinger were listed Missing in Action.
Sixty days after Long Trip 041 disappeared, a case study of the loss incident was completed. After careful review, the board of inquiry determined the aircraft was lost at sea and the crew and passengers died in the mishap. Under the circumstances of loss, it was further determined the remains of all six men were probably not recoverable. At the conclusion of the hearing, the status of Otha Perry, Cecil Perkins, Jon Boyanowski, Dwight Bremmer, Floyd Caldwell and Gregg Hollinger was changed to Killed, Body Not Recovered.
From CAC Unit Commander, MAJ Robert McKenzie:
The loss of Cecil Perkins and Otha Perry in aircraft 041 was a tragic event, and it caused all members of the compay much sadness. Both officers were super people and good pilots. The sadness did not go away for a long time, but our traditional CAC memorial service added some comfort. Those members who were good friends with CPT Perkins and CW2 Perry got their personal items together and then sent them to their families. I can assure you that ALL members of CAC never forgot the shock of losing these unit members. The unit plaques we had made in Philipines has aircraft 007—previously lost at Vung Tau—and 041 painted in the scrolls.
From The Saftey Officer, CPT Alan Smith:
"A couple of points from the "Safety Officer sent to get all of the facts." I'm pretty sure it was Longtrip 041, wouldn´t swear to it but I´m pretty sure. I was also on the accident investigation board. Here's all we know:
They took off from Phu Bai, enroute to Danang with a normal load of pax plus one unidentified hitchhiker. When they were in contact with Danang Approach Control, one of the guys hit ‘Transmit” instead of intercom and said, “Hey, you lost your number two engine” Approach came back and said, “Lost your number two engine, say ID.” They came back with, "Longtrip 041, we´ve lost our number two engine," and approach said, "Roger your cleared for strait in approach, descend to six thousand." The next transmission was garbled, with the [distinguishable] word "Fire." That was the last commo, and the aircraft disappeared from radar about that time. There was no further contact with the aircraft. Danang had a helicopter out there right away who found nothing. They were over Danang harbor when contact was lost. An incoming Navy ship also searched the area and found nothing. Our best guess was that the right wing blew off, and the two pieces went straight to the bottom. These guys were both very good pilots, they wouldn´t have been in CAC if they weren´t.I´m getting old but these events are like they happened yesterday.
With a turbine spinning 33,000 rpm at 750 degrees C, a thin firewall away from 58 gallons of JP4, if something comes unglued, bad things happen and there´s really nothing you can do about it. Fortunately for all of us, those events were very rare in that great airplane.
Actually, I was in Bankok when this happened, and when we were heading back to Long Thanh, somewhere over the middle of Cambodia, my Fire Warning light came on, talk about a jolt! All was well, but it sure got our attention.
Alan [January 2012]"
