Helicopter UH-1B 64-14024


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1B tail number 64-14024
Date: 02/16/1966
Incident number: 0D830ACD Accident case number: 0D830 Total Loss Accident
Unit: A/2/20 ARA
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Close Air Support
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 INJ, 02 DOI . . Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 0
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
costing 219911
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, UH1P1, 11262, CASRP (Operations Report. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC O3 EJ CAPENER
AC WO1 PATERSON ROSS JAMES KIA
CE E5 TJ RUPLEY
G SP5 LLOYD FREDDIE GEAN KIA


War Story:
Jex Capener was listed as MIA for several days after the crash until he was found and medivaced back to the states. I was in A/2/20 ARA when this crash occurred and was part of the search and rescue for this downed aircraft. Jex Capener was med-evac'ed when found several days after the crash. We had become close friends during the ride over on the USNS Upshur and sharing many hours together on strip alert and living so closely. Jex said that the aircraft never received hostile (nor friendly) fire before impact. He said the remote compass (RMI, I believe) had pre-cessed during flight after being caged on preflight and that he had just received a H&I fire mission to the west of An Khe from Hard Anvil, I believe, and directed Ross Paterson to fly west. In reality they flew more south, southwest and flew into the mountain south southwest of An Khe. I can believe his story because Tom Cochran and Hugh Leatherwood had flown that same aircraft with me on many previous mission and written it up for a pre-cessing RMI. As it was night and they were on mortar patrol, which I also flew many nights, they practiced instrument flying and used the instruments because of the sheer blackness of the area around Hong Kong Mountain and An Khe. When we were on strip alert I ran an instrument refresher courses for all of my pilots because many times we executed approaches down to the PSP on the airstrip at An Khe when the rain showers demanded a precision approach to the minimums. Morey Brady (spelling) was either the XO or had moved up XO of Div Arty. He may remember something about this. Bruce Wilder, Wbwilder@aol.com

This record was last updated on 02/04/2002


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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