Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 66-07810
The Army purchased this helicopter 1167
Total flight hours at this point: 00000090
Date: 05/01/1968 MIA-POW file reference number: 1153
Incident number: 68050144.KIA
Unit: B/1/9 CAV 1 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD233082 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYD233082)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 MIA . .
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 Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database.
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 1153, LNOF,
80214, CASRP, CRAFX (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Crash Facts Message. Casualty Report.
)
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
CE SFC MARTIN RICHARD D BNR
G MSG GERVAIS DONALD PETER BNR
P CW3 WHITMIRE WARREN TAYLOR JR BNR
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: Sgt. Donald Gervais, gunner; CPL Richard D. Martin, crewchief; and
WO1 Warren T. Whitmire, pilot comprised the crew of a UH6A helicopter on a
visual reconnaissance mission over the A Shau Valley in South Vietnam.
At 1800 hours, another aircrew saw Whitmire's aircraft crash into a ravine. It
appeared to the crew of the other aircraft that Whitmire's helicopter hit a
dead tree. The other aircraft received gunfire as it flew closer to the site.
Visual reconnaissance of the site was difficult because of enemy fire and it
was determined that search crews could not be inserted because of the presence
of enemy troops and rugged terrain.
An infantry platoon that was on the ground had encountered the enemy troops,
and had observed the crash through binoculars from 300 meters away. The
platoon leader tried to move closer to the site, but encountered enemy activity
and had to withdraw. Heavy enemy activity continued in the area, making it
impossible to reach the site again.
Gervais, Martin and Whitmire were declared Missing In Action.
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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