C-123 Picture and Story from Buzz Glade
 Buzz next to a C-123 converted into a restaurant in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. This plane is supposedly the sister ship of the 123 that Buz Sawyer was killed in. Daja vu, Susan & I recently over flew Magnolia, Ark (Buz Sawyer's hometown) and I was telling her about Buz. |
|||
|
From the prk-aviation.nl website: The "El Avion twin sister" Fairchild C-123K
Provider N4410F was bought by Corporate Air Services, which was working
on behalf of the CIA. The airplane was re-registered HPF821. In 1986
HPF821 was used on a U.S. government-sponsored covert resupply program
for the Contras in Nicaragua. On October 5, 1986 the flight departed
San Salvador-Ilopango Airport loaded with 70 Soviet-made AK-47 rifles
and 100,000 rounds of ammunition, rocket grenades and other supplies.
It flew along the Nicaraguan coastline and entered Nicaraguan airspace
near the Costa Rican border. Nearing San Carlos, the plane descended
to 2500 feet while preparing to drop off its cargo. At that moment the
Provider was shot down by a Sandinista soldier using a SA-7 missile.
As it spiralled down, one crew member Eugene H. Hasenfus was able to
parachute to safety. He was captured by the Sandinistas. Two American
pilots, William H. Cooper and Wallace B. Sawyer, Jr., and one Latin
crew member were killed. The downing of the C-123 cargo plane on Oct.
5, 1986, led to the discovery of an extensive United States contra supply
operation that was based in El Salvador and financed by the profits
from the American sale of arms to Iran. President Ronald Reagan denied
that there was any Government connection to the flight. But Mr. Hasenfus,
and documents in the wreckage of the plane, linked the crew to Government
involvement. |
Return to Photos