Nguyen Tien Sam
North Vietnamese fighter ace
About Nguyen Tien Sam
Lived 1946 – 2019 (aged 73). Nguyen Tien Sam was a Vietnamese fighter pilot.
Nguyễn Tiến Sâm (born 1946 in Hanoi – died 2019) was a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 pilot of the Vietnamese People's Air Force, he flew with the 921st fighter regiment from 1968-72 and the 927th fighter regiment from 1972-75, and tied for fourth place amongst Vietnam War fighter aces with six kills.
Five of his six kills, all F-4 Phantom II fighters, are known for certain: 5 July 1972, a USAF F-4E (serial number 67-0296, 469th TFS/388th TFW, pilot Spencer, WSO Seek, POWs); 24 July 1972, a USAF F-4E (serial number 66-0369, 421st TFS/388th TFW, pilot Hodnett, WSO Fallert, both rescued); 29 July 1972, a USAF F-4E (serial number 66-0367, 4th TFS/388th TFW, pilot Kula, WSO Matsui, POWs); 12 September 1972, a USAF F-4E (serial number 69-7266, 335th TFS/4th TFW, pilot McMurray, WSO Zuberbuhler, POWs); 5 October 1972, a USAF F-4D (serial number 66-9838, 335th TFS/4th TFW, pilot Lewis, WSO Alpers, POWs).
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Nguyen Tien Sam's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Nguyen Tien Sam?
North Vietnamese fighter ace (1946-2019)
When was Nguyen Tien Sam born?
Nguyen Tien Sam was born on 15 June 1946 in Hanoi.
When did Nguyen Tien Sam die?
Nguyen Tien Sam died on 21 August 2019 in Hanoi.
What was Nguyen Tien Sam's occupation?
Nguyen Tien Sam was a fighter pilot.
What nationality was Nguyen Tien Sam?
Nguyen Tien Sam was Vietnamese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Nguyen Tien Sam. https://biography.guide/nguyen-tien-sam/
MLA: "Nguyen Tien Sam." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/nguyen-tien-sam/.
Chicago: "Nguyen Tien Sam." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/nguyen-tien-sam/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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