The Beech U21A was a low-wing, twin
engine executive aircraft used primarily for liaison flights for staff-level
personnel that served with the Pacific Air Forces in Vietnam. The US Army also
used it as a personnel and light cargo transport before it was reassigned to Air
America, the CIA airline in Southeast Asia.
On December 14, 1971, CW2 Otha L.
Perry, pilot; Capt. Cecil C. Perkins, co-pilot; Lt. Col. John Boyanowski, Capt.
Gregg N. Hollinger, SP4 Dwight A. Bremmer and SSgt. Floyd D. Caldwell,
passengers; were aboard a U21A aircraft (tail #18041), call sign "Long Trip
041." 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, John 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.
While there is little doubt about the
fate of the men aboard Long Trip 041, they do have a right to have their remains
returned to their families, friends and country if at all possible. However, for
other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, their fate could
be quite different. Since the end of the Vietnam War, over 21,000 reports of
American Prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by
our government. Many of these reports document LIVE American Prisoners of War
remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
Military personnel in Vietnam were
called upon to under many dangerous circumstances, and were prepared to be
wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could
be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
Incidental Information
