Helicopter CH-47A 66-19067


Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 66-19067
The Army purchased this helicopter 0367
Total flight hours at this point: 00001180
Date: 10/05/1968
Incident number: 681005171ACD Accident case number: 681005171 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 179 ASHC
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Camp Evans in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 0
costing 1169199
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC W2 CA RIGGS
P W2 TE LAWRENCE
CE E4 SA SMITH
G CPL MITCHELL ALEX LOUIS KIA
FE SP4 WILSON DAVID WALTER KIA


Accident Summary:

From the board's findings and witness statements, we have been able to reconstruct the following description of the accident. At 1300 hours CH-47A, 66-19067, started up and taxied out to the active runway 230. The aircraft went through its pre-takeoff and takeoff checks (hover, sas, etc.) and prepared to depart. The aircraft was told to hold for traffic and then cleared to go. The Chinook started its takeoff getting about 40 to 60 feet of altitude and about 20 knots forward speed, heading 230 deg, when the nose suddenly swung up and to the left as the tail went down and to the right. Simultaneously the entire aft pylon tore loose, going up, forward, and to the left. With this occurrence the front and aft rotor blades intermeshed, the aft green blade striking into the fuselage just aft of the front pylon, severing that portion of the fuselage from point of impact forward and striking PFC Mitchell, the left door gunner, as it arced through the fuselage. Also with the departing of the aft pylon, fuel, oil and electrical lines running to the engines were ruptured causing fire to erupt around the number 2 (left) engine first and then both engines. The aircraft fell tail low striking the active runway and inverting. The aft pylon impacted and came to rest 64 feet from the main mass of the aircraft. The forward section (severed by the aft green blade strike) came to rest 19 feet from the main mass. The main mass of the aircraft (from just aft of the front pylon back, minus the aft pylon) burned. The bodies of SP4 Wilson and PFC Mitchell were seen to be thrown out of the aircraft when the forward section severed. The aircraft had flown 2 hrs, 45 min. that morning with no discrepancy noted in flight.

This record was last updated on 04/14/1999


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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