The helicopter took off from the town of Vinh and was headed to the central city of Hue. About 30 minutes into the flight, witnesses said they saw the helicopter making unusual swinging movements near a main highway before it collided into a hill and burst into flames. A thick fog might have temporarily blinded the Vietnamese pilot, causing him to veer off track, officials said. However, officials are still investigating the crash site for a definite cause. We've been flying in this type of aircraft for a number of years and this is the first accident.
Every mission is a dangerous mission.
It's a very difficult area to operate in. Sometimes you can go in an area that's totally clear. Recovery teams were sent to remove the bodies from the site the day after the crash. The Pentagon released the names of the Americans after notifying family members. First Class Tommy James Murphy of Georgia.