Helicopter AH-1G 66-15332


Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 66-15332
The Army purchased this helicopter 1267
Total flight hours at this point: 00000058
Date: 05/03/1968 MIA-POW file reference number: 1155
Incident number: 68050310.KIA
Unit: A/1/9 CAV 1 CAV
This was a Combat Loss caused by being shot down by Ground Fire with the mission function of Armed Helicopter (having primary weapon subsystems installed and utilized to provide direct fire support)
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Armed Recon
While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 1500 feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XD685382 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QXD685382)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
causing an Explosion.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 DOI . .
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
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: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center AVDAC database. Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 1155, LNOF, 80296, CASRP, CRAFX (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Crash Facts Message. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was not recovered

Crew Members:
P WO1 CHANEY ARTHUR FLETCHER RR
P CW2 MCKAIN BOBBY LYN RR


REFNO Synopsis:
During the afternoon, CWO Bobby McKain, pilot, and WO Arthur Chaney, co-pilot, were flying aboard an AH-1G helicopter on an armed escort mission for a reconnaissance team operating west of Khe Sanh. At about 1405 hours, while making a pass on an enemy gun position, they were hit by 37mm anti-aircraft fire from the gun emplacement and the helicopter exploded in mid-air. They were about 1500 feet above the ground when the explosion occurred, separating the tail boom and one main rotor blade from the aircraft. The aircraft spun to the ground on fire and impacted, and seconds later, the ammunition onboard detonated. Other pilots in the area immediately flew to the site and observed the aircraft engulfed in flames with no visible signs of life. Shortly thereafter, they were driven from the area by other heavy automatic weapons fire. Air searches were made, but revealed no signs of the crew. No radio contact was made.


War Story:
The helicopter crashed in Laos based on the following:

(1) An 1/9 Cav MIA Board witness statement from DeRoy J. HARDIE, 1LT which reads as follows: "When the aircraft of CW2 McKain and WO1 Chaney crashed, it landed in Laos. For this reason there was no ground search made. All searching and observation was done from the air."

(2) A JCRC message 19 Jan 1976 proposing that McKain/Chaney's loss location should be corrected from Quang Tri Prov, SVN to Laos, and a DIA response dtd 31 Mar 1976 saying that DIA and Army concurred with the recommendation.

(3) in 3rd MarDiv ops log for 03 May 68 (TT 1201031016.pdf p27): "#114 - 031530H - From Task Force Hotel: 686383 Huie Cobra down across Laotian border shot down by ground fire exploded in mid air no survivors expected. AO will check out for survivors."

This record was last updated on 07/20/2009


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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