Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17164
Date: 09/27/1968 MIA-POW file reference number: 1291
Incident number: 68092721.KIA
Unit: A/9 AVN 9 INF
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XS608377 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXS608377)
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: 1291 ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC CW2 SMITH WILLIAM ARTHUR JR RR
P 1LT HURST QUENTIN FOXX KIA
CE CPL NILES JEFFERY CHARLES KIA
G SGT GREENE KEVIN LESLIE KIA
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: On September 27, 1968, WO1 William A. Smith, Jr. was the aircraft commander of an UH1H helicopter (tail #67-17164) on a command and control mission in the vicinity of My Tho, Kien Hoa Province, Republic of Vietnam. The
pilot onboard the aircraft was LT Quentin F. Hurst, crewchief, PVT Jeffrey C. Niles, and gunner Kevin L. Grain. [NOTE: Several Defense Department listings show Smith's aircraft as an OH6A helicopter, but the Army and Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC) records indicate it was a UH1H.] During the mission, the aircraft was hit by enemy ground fire, burst into flames
and exploded on contact with the My Tho River. Several U.S. Navy patrol boats were in the area, and the crash of the aircraft was observed. Boats arrived at the site minutes after the crash. During the aerial search of the crash site, three aviator helmets, aircraft debris, personal items belonging to the aircraft crew and an oil slick were located on the water in the vicinity. However, no evidence of survivors was seen, nor were any bodies located.
On 29 September, the bodies of three crew members were found floating in the vicinity of the crash site. The three remains were recovered and subsequently identified as Niles, Hurt and Grain. It was determined that the recovered crew members survived the crash and later died by drowning. Thus it was possible that Smith survived as well and was captured. He was classified Missing in Action.
A photo taken on the morning of September 28 of the shoreline in the same general area as the crash was examined by a photo interpreter who stated that it appeared that in the photo something or someone was dragged ashore in the
vicinity of the crash site. However, questioning of the local riverside people indicated that a small sampan had been pulled ashore at that location.
Leaflets were distributed along the shoreline seeking information from villagers about the fate of WO1 Smith. Also, an indigenous investigator traveled the north bank of the My Tho River searching for information or a body washed ashore. The
results of both efforts were negative.
In December 1974, remains were recovered that remotely associated with this incident. However, the Identification Laboratory in Thailand identified the remains as Mongoloid, and not those of WO1 Smith.
A source reported information on a U.S. helicopter shot down in 1973 or 1974 in the vicinity. Reportedly, the dead pilot was pulled out, stripped, and buried in the vicinity. This was thought to possibly correlate to Smith [even though this incident was some 4-5 years following Smith's loss].
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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