History

On April 29, 1975, Herk C-130A 56-0518, that sits on display at the base’s front gate, flew the last mission out of Vietnam during the fall of Saigon. With more than 100 aircraft destroyed on the flightline at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, it was the last flyable C-130. In a panicked state, hundreds of people rushed to get aboard, as the aircraft represented a final ticket to freedom. The number of individuals aboard the plane and standing on the rear ramp required the pilot to taxi forward before hitting the brakes; this allowed the loadmaster to successfully close the doors. In all, 452 people were on board, including the 32 in the cockpit. It was estimated the aircraft was overloaded by at least 10,000 pounds. Consequently, the Herk used every bit of the runway and overrun before it was able to get airborne. After getting lost, the pilot landed the C-130 at Utapao, Thailand. The aircraft has been on display at Little Rock Air Force Base’s front gate since June 1989.