Information on U.S. Air Force helicopter HH-43F tail number 62-04525
Date: 02/07/1968
Incident number: 68020743.KIA
Unit: 38 ARRS DET 9
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Rescue and Recovery mission for Medical Evacuation
While in PickUp Zone this helicopter was Landing at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: AR813936 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PAR813936)
Unknown groundfire.
causing a Fire.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 DOI, 03 INJ . .
The helicopter made an Emergency Landing. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Exploded
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, MISC, CASRP, OPREP, PACAF, 07149, 3 ARRG History
P:9 (Pacific Air Force. Operations Report. Miscellaneous. Casualty Report. )
Summary: Shot down by enemy .50 cal during night medevac for Army wounded.
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC CPT FB GILLIGAN
CP MAJ LM JIGGENS
PR SGT DR BERRIO
FE SGT ABARA JOSE GENE KIA
War Story:
The following was taken from the USAF helicopter combat loss incident report. PEDRO 56, HH-43F #62-4525, and PEDRO 77, HH-43B #59-1569, both from Det 9, 38th ARRS based at Pleiku, were on a medevac mission to pickup U.S. Army wounded about 10 miles northeast of Kontum. PEDRO 77 was the high bird and 56 the low bird with Army gunships providing cover. The area was reported secure, PEDRO 56 dropped flares and went in for the pickup. At 2028H at 200 feet the aircraft took 50 cal hits, burst into flames and hit the ground at high speed. There were four people on board. The two pilots and the pararescueman though injured, were able to get away from the aircraft. The flight engineer was not observed departing the helicopter which was destroyed. A ground unit attempted to get to the crash site but made contact with the enemy enroute. An Army helicopter picked up the three survivors about four hours later and took them first to Dak To, then to Pleiku. The co-pilot had a broken elbow and the pararescueman had 2nd degree burns. SGT Abara's body was recovered by a ground unit on the 9th.
This record was last updated on 05/18/2019
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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