Although commonly described as the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy, the actual embassy was a much larger building several blocks away. This building was a residence for U.S. diplomatic personnel.
After this helicopter took off, hundreds of people waited on the roof, but no one else came for them.
The United States government’s decision to abandon the people of South Vietnam after propping up their government for over ten years led to the deaths of many thousands at the hands of the Communist invaders.
This is one of the most shameful events in the history of my country.
Air America was a passenger and cargo airline covertly owned and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It operated many types of airplanes and helicopters, among them the legendary Bell “Huey”—both the commercial Model 204B, and military UH-1D and UH-1H.
Because the helicopter in the first photograph is seen nearly head-on, it is difficult to identify. To TDiA’s eyes, though, it appears to be a Bell 204B. The 204B has a single, almost square, window in each of the sliding doors, while the longer 205A-1 has a small auxiliary cargo door with a small window, followed by the sliding door with two windows.
The helicopter in the second photograph is a Bell UH-1D, constructor’s number 3211. It was one of six UH-1Ds purchased by Air America from the Bell Helicopter Company on 21 September 1967 for $328,645.75, each. 3211 was assigned for operations out of Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, with the Kingdom of Laos aircraft registration XW-PFJ.
Air America planned to crate the helicopter and return it to the United States. The Laotian registration was cancelled 14 May 1974 and the aircraft stored at Sài Gòn. A U.S. Federal Aviation Administration registration was requested 10 April 1975, and on 17 April it was registered as N47004, and identified as a “205D.” It was used during the evacuation of Sài Gòn on 29 April 1975.
N47004 was transported to NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, aboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19), and then on to Corpus Christi, Texas. In September 1975 N47004 was trucked from Corpus Christie to Roswell, New Mexico. It was sold to Omni Aircraft Sales, Washington, D.C., for $100,000, 13 November 1975. In 1976, it was resold to Columbia Helicopters, Inc., Portland, Oregon. It was last registered to an individual in Dothan, Alabama. The registration was cancelled 15 August 2013.
© 2025, Bryan R. Swopes