The Unofficial U.S. Air Force HH-43B/F "PEDRO" Crash Rescue - Air Rescue Web Site

Staff Sergeant Angel Luna

Name: Staff Sergeant Angel Luna
Pararescueman

Date of Birth: July 19, 1932

Home of Record: San Antonio, Texas

Date of Casualty: October 10, 1968

Age at Loss: 35 years old

Vietnam Veteran's Memorial
Wall Panel 41W - Row 41

Detachment #1, 38th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron
Phan Rang Air Base, Republic of South Vietnam

Aircraft Model: HH-43B

Aircraft Tail Number: 58-01845

Call Sign: Pedro 44

INCIDENT SUMMARY

Staff Sergeant Luna and his crew were intercepting a battle damaged B-57 that was landing with a declared emergency of smoke and fumes in the cockpit. Pedro 44 was following the B-57 down the runway when they suddenly crashed to the ground and burst into flames. In approximately three minutes the fire was extinguished and rescue of Pedro 44's crew was attempted. All five crew members were dead.

An investigation into Pedro 44's crash determined that the cause of the accident was due to material failure of the azimuth bar to "L" crank rod. This caused disintegration of the rotor system and loss of control of the aircraft.

Sergeant Jose Gene Abara    Staff Sergeant Milard Luther E. Bledsoe    2nd Lieutenant George H. Bonnell, II

Technical Sergeant Harry Cohen    Major Warren K. Davis    Captain Von Miles Liebernecht 

Staff Sergeant Angel Luna    Airman First Class William H. Pitsenbarger    Major David Hunter Pittard

Airman Second Class Francis D. Rice

If you have any additional information regarding Angel or this incident, please contact me.  

This Web Page Was Updated March 26, 2008

 

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HH-43 Organization/Unit Histories

33d Air Rescue Squadron The First Search and Rescue Squadron Deployed to Southeast Asia Detachment #10, Eastern Air Rescue Center One of the Units Making Up the Provisional Group Sent To SEA During the Buildup Following The Gulf of Tonkin Incident
  Detachment #1, Provisional   2nd Search and Rescue Unit Assigned to Southeast Asia Detachment #2, Provisional Part of the 2nd Search and Rescue Units Assigned to Southeast Asia.
3rd Aerospace and Recovery Group All of the Rescue Squadrons in Southeast fell under the 3rd Group 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron All of the HH-43 Units in Southeast Asia fell under this squadron
Detachment #1, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit out of Phan Rang AB, RVN Detachment #2, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit out of Takli RTAFB, Thailand
Detachment #3, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit out of Ubon RTAFB, Thailand Detachment #4, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit at Khorat RTAFB, Thailand
Detachment #6, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit out of Bien Hoa AB, RVN Detachment #9, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit out of Pleiku AB, RVN/Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand
Detachment #10, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit out of Binh Thuy AB, RV Detachment #11, 38th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron History of the unit out of Thuy Hoa AB, RV
Det. #4, 36th Aerospace Rescue & Recover Squadron History of the unit stationed in Osan, Korea. Det. #7, 40th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Wing History of the unit out of Terrejon, Spain
Det. #1, Atlantic Air Rescue Center History of the unit at Spangdahlem AB, Germany Det. #32, Central Air Rescue Center History of the unit at Webb AFB, Texas
Det. #37, Central Air Rescue Center History of the unit at England AFB Det. #7, Western Air Rescue Center I currently have no info. available. Looking for contributions
Det. #16, Western Air Rescue Center History of this unit based out of Williams AFB, Arizona HH-43 Southeast Asia Aircraft Locator Database Containing Dates and Unit Locations Where Aircraft Were Assigned
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