On June 30, 1970, an F-4E Phantom II (tail number 67-0279, call sign "Tiger 01") with two crew members took off on a Forward Air Controller (FAC) mission over central Laos. During the mission, "Tiger 01" refueled with a tanker and returned to its assigned area to conduct weather reconnaissance over existing road and trail networks. Approximately one hour later, the captain of "Tiger 01" radioed that he was leaving the area to return to the tanker and refuel, but was not heard from again. "Tiger 01" never rendezvoused with the tanker, and further attempts to contact the aircraft's crew were unsuccessful. Electronic and aerial search efforts were unable to locate the aircraft or its crew. 

Captain Mitchell Olen Sadler Jr. entered the U.S. Air Force from California and was a member of the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was the pilot of this Phantom when it went missing, and remains unaccounted for. Subsequent to the incident, the U.S. Air Force posthumously promoted Captain Sadler to the rank of Major (Maj). Today, Major Sadler is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.