Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16341
The Army purchased this helicopter 0968
Total flight hours at this point: 00000169
Date: 12/05/1968 MIA-POW file reference number: 1334
Incident number: 68120520.KIA
Unit: 1 BDE 1 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT973722 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT973722)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 MIA . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Exploded
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.
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 1334, LNOF,
80493, CRAFX, Letter from Potvin & Hewitt (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Crash Facts Message.
)
Summary: While flying lead scout for 1/7th Cav Bn, received intense enemy fire, went inverted, crashed and exploded. Aircraft burned completely.
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P WO1 BERRY JOHN ALVIN BNR
OB SGT EVANS BILLY KENNEDY JR BNR
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: This OH6A was the lead helicopter, in a flight of two OH6As on a reconnaissance mission on a suspected enemy bunker complex in Tay Ninh Province, very near the border of Cambodia. During a pass over the complex, Berry's aircraft received fire, and he notified his wingman of the situation. Berry's helicopter then turned left, nosed over, crashed and burned. The wingman and his observer had continuous observation of the incident and saw no one thrown from the aircraft or departing the wreckage. An aerial search of the open area around the crash site indicated no survivors.
No ground search was possible due to enemy anti-aircraft weapons and extensive enemy bunkers in the area. At the time of the crash, Berry's OH6A had half a tank of fuel and more than 3000 rounds of ammunition aboard. A small portion of the tail boom and a piece of the tail rudder were the only recognizable portions of the aircraft remaining. Both Berry and Evans were initially declared Missing in Action, on the chance that they may have escaped the burning aircraft.
On October 18, 1973, a message from DIA cited a captured enemy film of a crash site which showed 2 deceased American helicopter crewmembers. Based on the analysis of this film, the status of Evans and Berry was changed to Killed in
Action, Bodies Not Recovered (KIA/BNR) by the U.S. Army. A hearsay report was later received indicating that a set of remains had been found in a crashed helicopter in the jungles of Tay Ninh Province. Allegedly, the remains were those of a Second Lieutenant named Bill. This may correlate to SP4 Billy Evans. Jr.
War Story:
The following was taken from a Dec, 1968 letter from John Hewitt (Wild Thing) to Robert Potvin: I let Mr. Clean (WO John Berry) fly lead about a week ago and I flew wing on a mission for the 1/7th (Cavalry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division) out by Lo Go on the border. Charlie opened up with everything. I told him to break left and get out of there. His ship nosed over while in a left hand bank, went inverted and exploded on impact. Within minutes there was nothing but a black spot on the ground, the only identifiable part was half of a tail rotor blade. They never recovered Mr. Clean or Evans (SGT Billy Evans), said it was too hot 200 meters from the river. Submitted by Robert Potvin, March 1997.
This record was last updated on 07/09/2009
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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