Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16172
The Army purchased this helicopter 0367
Total flight hours at this point: 00001402
Date: 01/14/1969
Incident number: 690114251ACD Accident case number: 690114251 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/377 ARTY
The station for this helicopter was Camp Eagle in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 1
costing 344945
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 W1 DC FRISCHKNECHT
P WO1 YANCHUK RICHARD PHILIP JR KIA
CE DOAK
G NYDAM
Passengers and/or other participants:
FIANTACO, PAX, G
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ^LZ SALLEY^ AT ^1410 30 JAN 69^ ENROUTE TO ^LZ SANDY^. THE FLIGHT WAS LOGISTICAL SUPPORT. WHILE CRUISING AT LOW LEVEL, THE AIRCRAFT YAWED RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, SENSING A TAIL ROTOR FAILURE, RETARDED THE THROTTLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH A FORWARD SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 KNOTS. THE LEFT SKID MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A RIGHT CRAB. THIS CONFIGURATION CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO DIP INTO THE RIGHT FRONT CABIN, STRIKING THE PILOT'S HEAD, AND KILLING HIM. THE CREW CHIEF WAS THROWN OUT UPON IMPACT. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT AFT OF THE ATTACHING POINT. AS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED LEFT, A MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE GROUND, BENDING 90 DEG. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ROLLING UNTIL NEARLY INVERTED, PINNING THE CREW CHIEF UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. THE MAST FRACTURED.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
This information is available on CD-ROM.
Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org
Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.
KIA statistics
Return to the KIA panel date index
Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association