When General Phoumi Nosavan was forced into exile in February 1965, he no longer could use his influence to shield the subordinates in his faction.
[1][2] Generals Kouprasith Abhay, Oudone Sananikone, and Ouane Rattikone plotted against the air force head.
When three C-47s were delivered to air force headquarters in Savannakhet, Kouprasith and Ouane demanded their transfer to Wattay, where they would be available to the generals.
After informing Kong Le that the RLA was about to absorb his Neutralist troops, they chastised Thao Ma for his independence, noting that the RLAF was a Royal Lao Army unit.
His emphasis on raiding the Ho Chi Minh Trail instead of flying close air support for the infantry was criticized.
[4] A mutiny was then fomented within the RLAF in early May 1966, with the Chief of Staff and several fighter pilots bribed to cause trouble.
[5] In mid-May, the air force general met fellow conspirators Bounleut Saycocie, Thao Ty, and Nouphet Daoheuang on five consecutive nights.
The transports were split off into a separate Military Airlift Command under Sourith, leaving fighter operations to Thao Ma.
[10] According to one source, Thao Ma was not immediately aware of this, and counted on Kong Le's aid in a coup situation.
In the wake of Kong Le's forced departure, Thao Ma felt both his career and his life were in danger.
Nouphet would seize Ouane and Bounthoune while Thao Ma would lead an air strike on General Staff headquarters in Vientiane.
All U.S. Air Force missions over Laos were momentarily cancelled by General William Momyer; they scrambled F-102 interceptors.
At 0830 hours, even as Thao Ma radioed a communique that Ouane had been detained, the AT-28s struck a gun park, two munitions depots, the Royal Lao Army headquarters, and Kouprasith's villa.