William Beale

Covert operations in Laos

After the U.S. aborted its CIA attack on Indonesia, Beale remained in CAT service. In 1959 the CIA airline became Air America, and by 1962 Beale was flying covert missions in support of U.S. covert operations in Laos. On April 2, 1962, Beale was in a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver trying to take off from an airstrip in northeastern Laos. The DHC-2 was overloaded, failed to become airborne and crashed at the end of the runway, killing all on board. He died from severe burns over 100 percent of his body.