Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 65-09919
The Army purchased this helicopter 0666
Total flight hours at this point: 00000763
Date: 08/06/1967
Incident number: 67080606.KIA
Unit: 281 AVN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Troop Extraction , Hot Area.
Unknown this helicopter was at Hover at 0020 feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 3 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Equipment Section
Systems damaged were: ENGINE, PERSONNEL
Casualties = YES . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense
Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis
Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, UH1P2, 73365 (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P WO1 MILLER DARYL L KIA
G PFC SOPER JOHN CAMDEN KIA
CE PFC GOFFREDO MICHAEL ANTHONY KIA
AC CWO OMDAHL GARY M RES
War Story:
The 281st was in I CTZ attached OPCON to Project Delta to support Operation Samurai, a joint operation with the III Marine Amphibious Force. The Tactical Area of Responsibility (TAOR) was "Happy Valley," and the operation was run out of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at An Hoa which is about 25 km southwest of Da Nang. From the looks of the Aviation Annex to the AAR the 281st was having maintenance problems as a result of having been relocated from the FOB to Marble Mountain in Da Nang near the MSS. The Mission Support Site (MSS) for this operation was at the 5th SFG "C" Team at Da Nang. Relocation of aircraft was common in these operations due to the inability to secure them at some forward locations. Our helicopters drew mortar and rocket
fire like a magnet.
This was before my time in the unit, so the information I am furnishing is strictly from AAR and/or OPORD documents and is not a memory or war story, just straight fact. I located what I think would be the set of circumstances leading up to and surrounding the incident. It is not a pretty picture, no major heroic actions. Just some bad luck. I will let you draw your on conclusions after reading the material I have furnished. I have included the following documentation:
After Action Report to Operation 7-67 (Samurai) 5th SFG, Det B-52 Project Delta, Intelligence Annex to the above AAR (excerpt), Aviation (281st AHC) Annex to the above AAR (entire document)
The information that pertains to this specific incident is extracted below.
06 Aug - Ranger Platoon 13 inserted RZ Itsu without incident. Extraction helicopter for Recon Team 12 was hit by enemy ground fire, crashed and burned; all persons aboard escaped with only minor injuries, and made a successful link-up with Recon Team 12. Recovery aircraft returned to FOB for refueling. Recovery aircraft departed FOB to continue the extraction of Recon Team 12 and the helicopter crew. Upon arrival in Recon team 12's area, CH53 Jolly Green Giant rescue aircraft were on station and had already begun to extract the personnel on the ground. The CH53 aircraft was dispatched by I DASC after a downed aircraft radio transmission was received. CH53 aircraft extracted three of the 10 persons on the ground. While attempting to extract the second group of 3 personnel, the hoist cable made contact with a tree, breaking and throwing the three personnel 150-200 feet to the ground. The remaining four personnel on the ground located the bodies and reported two KIA and one seriously injured. The remaining four personnel were extracted by UH1D recovery aircraft. A USSF medic was inserted by one of the UH1D recovery helicopters to make final analysis of the injured person on the ground. The USSF medic reported shortly after insertion, that all three personnel of the group were dead DTG 061805H Aug. An eight man recovery team arrived and effected the recovery of all personnel on the ground. All WIAs and KIAs were taken to NSA Da Nang. Extraction of the recovery team was conducted. The enemy directed fire at the recovery team and the recovery team returned fire. Gunships and TAC AIR placed suppressive fire on suspected enemy locations.
From After Action Report to OPORD 7-67 (Operation Samurai), 10 July 1967 through 16 August 1967.
(2) 6 August 1967: During a normal Recon patrol extraction, the extraction aircraft sustained enemy ground fire, lost power, crashed and burned. The crew escaped the crash with minor injuries. Two of the Recon patrol team members sustained serious injuries from flying debris from the aircraft during impact. The crew joined the patrol on the ground and assisted in the preparation of the landing zone for extraction. While the recovery aircraft returned to base for refueling, an Air Force rescue helicopter arrived on the scene of the downed aircraft. The Air Force aircraft successfully extracted three of the seriously injured personnel. In an attempt to extract three crew members of the downed aircraft by means of a jungle penetrator and electrical hoist, the pilot of the pick-up aircraft reported "Fire Warning Lights" and proceeded to execute a take-off; the hoist cable caught in the trees, broke, and threw the three crew members 150 feet to the ground. Two men were killed on impact, the third died before another rescue attempt could be performed.
From Inclosure 3: (Aviation Support (281st AHC) to After Action Report)
from Bob Mitchell, Mitchellrw@aol.com May 2001.
This record was last updated on 05/19/2001
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