Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-00724
The Army purchased this helicopter 0167
Total flight hours at this point: 00001007
Date: 12/01/1968
Incident number: 681201081ACD Accident case number: 681201081 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 116 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Cu Chi in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT036566 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT036566)
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 0
costing 301714
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 O2 RW FORD
P W1 JE DUVALL
CE SP4 GRUBER FREDERICK LOUIS KIA
G SP4 RICKS LARRY EUGENE KIA
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WAS FLYING WINGMAN IN A LIGHT FIRE TEAM. AFTER COMPLETION OF A TEN (10) SHIP TROOP INSERTION, THE LIGHT FIRE TEAM BEGAN THE TROOP MOVEMENT COVER PHASE, WHILE HEADING WEST OVER THE LANDING ZONE AT 200 FEET ALTITUDE AND 70 KNOTS THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER HEARD TWO OR THREE LOUD CRACKING SOUNDS. THREE EYE WITNESSES FROM THE GROUND OBSERVED THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES BEING THROWN FROM THE AIRCRAFT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL WAS LOST THE AIRCRAFT TURNED 45 DEG TO THE RIGHT AND ASSUMED AN EXCESSIVE NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. AS A RESULT OF THE TURN THE AIRSPEED DISSIPATED TO APPROXIMATELY 40 KNOTS. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED ROTATING BENEATH THE MAIN ROTOR IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE ALTITUDE AT THIS TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER SAW A CLEARING TO HIS RIGHT AND PLANNED HIS TOUCHDOWN POINT. WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET THE THROTTLE WAS REDUCED RESULTING IN A STABLE CONDITION MOMENTARILY. INITIAL PITCH WAS PULLED AT APPROXIMATELY 30-40 FEET CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO INCREASE ITS ROTATION. CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WAS MADE IN AN EXCESSIVE TAIL LOW ATTITUDE, CAUSING THE TAIL BOOM TO BE BROKEN OFF APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET BEFORE FINAL IMPACT OF THE MAIN FUSELAGE. THE WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER AN AREA APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET BY 20 FEET, LOCATED IN A RICE PADDY. THE TAIL BOOM WAS LOCATED AT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN BURNING APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES AFTER IMPACT. THE LARGE EXPLOSION IS BELIEVED TO HAVE OCCURED ^10-15 MINUTES^ AFTER IMPACT.\\
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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