Helicopter UH-2B 151317

Information on U.S. Navy helicopter UH-2B tail number 151317
Date: 02/27/1967 MIA-POW file reference number: 0602
Incident number: 67022710.TXT
Unit: HC 1
Over Water
UTM grid coordinates: YE855130 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYE855130)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 0602 ()
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P LT HUIE LITCHFIELD PATTERSON BNR
P LJG LETCHWORTH EDWARD NORMAN BNR
C AN ZEMPEL RONALD LEE BNR
C AN SAUSE BERNARD JACOB JR BNR

REFNO Synopsis:
Litchfield Patterson Huie Edward N. Letchworth Bernard J. Sause Ronald L. Zempel (0602) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 30 April 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. The USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA 31) saw early Vietnam war action. A World War II Essex-class carrier, she was on station participating in combat action against the Communists as early as August 1964. Her aircraft carried the first Walleye missiles when they were introduced in 1967. In November 1970, the BON HOMME RICHARD completed its sixth combat deployment and was scheduled for decommissioning by mid-1971. LT Litchfield P. Huie was a pilot assigned to Helicopter Support Squadron 1, Detachment LIMA onboard the aircraft carrier USS BON HOMME RICHARD in 1967. On February 27 of that year, Huie launched from the aircraft carrier with his crew: LTJG Edward N. Letchworth, Airman Ronald L. Zempel, and Airman Bernard J. Sause, Jr. Airman Zempel was an aircrew survival equipmentman, and it is assumed that this crew normally conducted pilot rescue operations. As the UH2B flown by Huie was launched from the carrier, it lifted tail high, flipped and partially recovered just prior to striking the water. Upon striking the water the helicopter broke apart on impact. A search helicopter was immediately over the scene and was later aided by two Navy destroyers. The search was terminated with negative results. Huie, Zempel, Sause and Letchworth were declared Killed/Body Not Recovered. They are listed among the missing because no bodies were found to return home. Their accident is listed as non-combat related.

This record was last updated on 05/25/1998

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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023