Helicopter CH-47A 66-00120


Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 66-00120
The Army purchased this helicopter 1066
Total flight hours at this point: 00001320
Date: 10/22/1968
Incident number: 68102255.KIA
Unit: 205 ASHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Logistics Support mission for Resupply , Sling Loading.
While in PickUp Zone this helicopter was at Hover at 0030 feet and 000 knots.
South Vietnam
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing explosive charges. (RPG)
The helicopter was hit in the Mid area causing Fragmentation Damage.
Systems damaged were: HYDRAULIC SYS, MAIN ROTOR SYS, COMM SYS, ENGINE, FLT CONTROLS, DRIVE SHAFT , ELECTRICAL SY
Casualties = 05 WIA, 01 KIA . .
The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Destroyed by enemy forces
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, LNNF, CH47, BOING, CASRP (Operations Report. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
FE SP5 CORN JACK ALVIN KIA
AC CW2 FISCHER HELMUT J RES
P CW2 TAYLOR SAMUEL RES
CE SP5 VIOL ADOLF RES
G TRIMMEL GREG RES

Passengers and/or other participants:
SP4 CHAPPELL JESSE R, AR, G, RES


War Story:
Had recovered UH-1 and was in hover when hit by two RPGs. One exploded in the aircraft killing the flight engineer and damaging both flight control boost systems and utility hydraulic system. Both generators went off the line. The other RPG took out 2 x 6 inch spar section. Blade did not fail. Aircraft landed in rice paddy in five feet of water. CH-54 was unable to remove because fuselage had filled with water. Aircraft subsequently abandoned because of hostile environment. The following is from the CE SP5 Adolf "Frenchy" Viol: October 22, 1968 - I think it was on a Sunday, we, the crew of the 120, had standby duty. A call came for us to go and sling out a Huey in the Bing Duong Province III Corps. Gun Ship cover was denied, because it was a friendly and secure Area. Sp5 Jack Alvin Corn was the FE, Greg Trimmel was the Gunner on the left, the rear Gunner was the postal clerk, (name?) who volunteered for that day, to get some excitement in his live, and me the Crew Chief. The AC was CW2 Fischer and Lt. Sam Taylor the Copilot. It was a beautiful day for flying, I had my Super8 handy and took a fine scene of the support Huey and Crew on the ground. Than we had to go to work. Jack was lying on the hole and did a great job guiding the Pilot in for the hook-up. Everything went fine, we cleared the trees and ready to go on the way, than it happened! A big tremendous bang rang thru the Hook. I turned around and there it was, a big hole in the side and my first thought was "O sh.... that is it!!!" Than I saw Jack was hanging half out the hole and the trap-door on the top of him. I pulled him inside, he was unconscious, I told Mr. Fischer to drop every thing and get the FE to the nearest Hospital, he looks in a bad shape, he said: "I'm doing the best I can, but it looks like the electricity is gone." We did not get far and we had to find a spot to land the Chinook, because we lost all the Transmission Fluid and the Rotors where freezing up. Mr. Fischer found us a big Rice paddy and dropped in smack in the middle of it. O boy was that a hard landing. On dry land we most likely would not survived. A few minutes later the support crew with there Huey was there to pick up Jack and Lt. Taylor, who thought that something had hit him. One Guy from the Huey and the rest of as stayed behind. About ten minutes later the V.C. caught up with us and started shooting at us with their AKs and fired a bunch of Mortars or RPGs at our direction. Those nasty things came so close, we heard the water splashing on the Aircraft. The Bullets where whistling through the window where the M60 was, some banged thru the walls. MR. Fischer stood in the little doorway to the pilot cabin and tried the radio. He got shot in the right leg. The rest of us made ourselves as small as we could. I did hear some praying beside me and I felt not to comfortable myself and hoping for the best. Some body thought we needed help, Artillery rounds where raining down around us, it must have been hundreds of them. When it finally stopped, a big Angel in disguise of a Huey came and picked us up. You won't believe how fast you can climb up a thin steel rope. Charley still was trying to get me, the AK bullets again were buzzing around us like mad hornets. I counted myself lucky four times for that day. From all of us, I came away with the leaches, a small wound on my elbow, just enough for a bandage and a Purple Heart. Every time I get to Washington DC, I go to the Wall and pay my Respect to Jack, Gregory and Wayne. My dad was the postal clerk that day. Specialist Four Jesse R. Chappell for wounds received in action Republic of Vietnam 22 October 1968--Purple Heart. His foreign service was 1 year 11 months and 2 day. His specialty number and title 67U20 ACFT MECH. From: Jennifer Chappell Woodall

This record was last updated on 05/25/2017


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