ZELLER-GREGORY

LOST  AT  SEA  -  UNFORTUNATE  DEATH

At 8:44am on December 12, 1971 a C-2A Greyhound aircraft, BuNo 152793 designated RG-407, assigned to Fleet Tactical Support Squadron Fifty (VRC-50), departed Naval Air Station, Cubi Point, Philippines, enroute to Tan Son Nhut Airbase, Saigon, Vietnam.  The C-2A aircraft were primarily involved with carrier onboard delivery and thus the ultimate destination of the flight was the carrier USS Enterprise (CVN -65) patrolling off the coast of Singapore and about to head into the Bay of Bengal for a 30-day patrol to monitor an escalating conflict between India and Pakistan.  Aboard the flight were four crewmembers of VRC-50 and six passengers who were cryptologic technicians (CT rated enlisted men) who would gather intelligence information monitoring electronic transmissions originating from the conflict area.  Hours after the flight departed Cubi Point it was discovered that the aircraft had not been heard from and was overdue at Tan Son Nhut.  An intensive search was initiated and at the end of a fruitless all-night search for survivors, just before dawn on December 13, a life raft was discovered in the South China Sea at 13’08’N 117’08’E.  The raft was positively identified as belonging to RG-407 and showed evidence of charring consistent with an onboard fire.  Continued search resulted in the discovery of mail and personal belongings and a very small amount of aircraft debris.  No bodies were recovered, and distance measurements disclosed the flight time had been a mere 74 minutes.  The recovered evidence indicated the plane “most likely impacted the water relatively intact” and although the investigation concluded that “the cause of this mishap is undetermined,” the best guess was that “the most probable cause was a catastrophic in-flight failure of a propeller/gearbox with resultant aircraft damage.”  Pilot error and sabotage from either enemy combatants or suicide were ruled out.  The investigating body recommended the immediate cessation of all C-2A aircraft operations until a determination could be made of their airworthiness.  Thus, all C-2A aircraft were grounded for months.

Cryptologic Maintenance Technician Second Class Gregory Karl Zeller, hometown of Pasadena, California, was one of the RG-407 passengers who gave his life in the line of duty while performing cryptologic operations.  Review of readily available historical records revealed little information concerning CTM2 Zeller as the U.S. Government reports that at the time of this submission (2021) the mission on which he was deployed continues to be classified.  CTM2 Zeller was previously assigned to the Naval Communications Station, San Miguel, Philippines, immediately prior to his death and reportedly had ambitions of becoming a pastor once he finished his military service.  He has been honored by the establishment of a cenotaph memorial marker at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego which carries the inscription:  CTM2  -  US NAVY  -  VIETNAM.

               

                                  RG-407  GREYHOUND  IN  FLIGHT

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)