Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-00579
This record was last updated on 04/04/2007
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Date posted on this site:
11/13/2023
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
The Army purchased this helicopter 0866
Total flight hours at this point: 00000817
Date: 01/24/1969
Incident number: 69012424.KIA
Unit: 170 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Armed Recon
While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BR264472 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBR264472)
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing explosive charges. (B-40 RKT)
causing a Fire.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 04 DOI . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
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, UH1P3, 02402, LNNF, CRAFX, CASRP (Operations
Report. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Crash Facts Message. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC WO1 MCDONNELL WILLIAM HERBERT KIA
P WO1 GRISWOLD SCOTT CRAIG KIA
CE SP4 WESTMORELAND BRUCE WAYNE KIA
G SP4 TAFOYA JOHN OLIVIO KIA
War Story:
The following men were killed at 0723 hours on January 24, 1969 when their UH1B Huey
Gunship crashed within sight of LZ Action alongside Highway QL-19 at grid coordinates BR270471
in Binh Dinh Province (CACF1193 database incorrectly says Pleiku Province). The information
was taken from the 24 January 1969 Daily Journal of the 1st Bn 50th Infantry (Mechanized).
The 1/50th scout platoon recovered the bodies. The aircraft crashed and burned.
Three of the bodies were recovered from the aircraft, one body was recovered 75 meters southwest
of the crash site, still strapped into a seat.
I used the information in the Daily Journal to narrow a search of the CACF1193 database and
the TAGCEN database to locate the names and information listed below.
Name Rank MOS Date Killed Province CasType Reason AirNoAir Unit
Griswold, Scott Craig WO 062B 19690124 Pleiku A1 B 5 1st Av Bde
Mc Donnell, William Herbert WO 062B 19690124 Pleiku A1 B 5 1st Av Bde
Tafoya, John Olivio SP4 67A1F 19690124 Pleiku A1 B 5 1st Av Bde
Westmoreland, Bruce Wayne SP4 67N2F 19690124 Pleiku A1 B 5 1st Av Bde
The line entries beginning on page 2 of 10 from the Daily Journal are reproduced below.
Item Time Incident
9 0723 To 1/50th fm CO RTO A Co Chopper down between Strong Point 10 and
LZ Action. It is burning at this time.
Scouts are enroute.
10 0725 To 1/50th fm CO RTO A Co Scouts in area at this time.
11 0726 To 1/50th fm Scouts We have area secured. Have 1 US KIA.
12 0728 To 1/50th fm Scouts Have 2nd body.
13 0729 To 1/50th fm FAC 30A Location of downed chopper: BR270471
14 0730 To 1/50th fm Buccaneer 7 Will notify my higher at Pleiku.
15 0732 To Scouts fm Buccaneer 7 Downed aircraft was flying east to west on
north side of road.
19 0735 To Maj. Juliano fm Scouts Fire still burning. We can not extiguish it.
We need someone to extract bodies.
34 0755 To 1/50th fm Scout Plt Ldr Have two bodies Dusted off. Found another body
in the aircraft.
55 0930 To 1/50th fm CO RTO B Co Found the other body. It was not in the aircraft.
58 0952 To 1/50th fm CO RTO B Co 4th body was found 75m southwest of the crash,
still strapped in his chair.
From: Ray Smith