Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 67-15792
The Army purchased this helicopter 1068
Total flight hours at this point: 00000184
Date: 03/15/1969
Incident number: 690315151ACD Accident case number: 690315151 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: B/9 AVN 9 INF
The station for this helicopter was Dong Tam in
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 2
costing 178144
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
P W1 RR LINDSEY
P WO1 STACY MICHAEL LEIGH KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK UNK, MS, G
UNK UNK, GM, G
Accident Summary:
AT 1850 HOURS A LIGHT FIRE TEAM LINED UP (PERPENDICULAR TO) ON THE RUNWAY AT TAN AN AIRFIELD, RVN FOR TAKE OFF. AS THE TOWER CLEARED THE TEAM TO LEAVE, THE LEAD SHIP TURNED LEFT AND TOOK OFF. IN THE SECOND SHIP, ^AH-1G SN 67-15792^, WHICH WAS PILOTED BY ^WO1 LINDSEY^ AND CO-PILOTED BY ^WO1 STACY, WO1 STACEY^, WHO WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT SEAT, SAID "I'VE GOT IT" AND PICKED UP THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN A LEFT PEDAL TURN INTO THE WIND PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. AS THE AIRCRAFT TURNED LEFT THE RPM BEGAN TO BLEED OFF, AS THE RPM REACHED 6000 RPM THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW TO THE RIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL OVER THE RUNWAY, THE CO-PILOT ON THE CONTROLS WAS NOT AN AH-1G QUALIFIED PILOT, THE PILOT IN THE BACK, ^WO1 LINDSEY^, WAS AH-1G QUALIFIED. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION AT THIS TIME SHOULD HAVE BEEN A HOVERING AUTOROTATION OR AT LEAST PUTTING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND. ^WO1 LINDSEY^ ALLOWED ^WO1 STACY^ TO CONTINUE HIS TAKE OFF AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO YAW TO THE RIGHT AND AS POWER WAS INCREASED THE RPM CONTINUED TO BLEED OFF TO ABOUT 5000 RPM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER A MINEFIELD LACED WITH BARBED WIRE SO IT WAS NOT PRACTICAL TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AT THIS TIME. WITH INSUFFICIENT RPM FOR FLIGHT REMAINING THE AIRCRAFT FELL TO THE GROUND MOVING LEFT (FACING EAST). THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES FLEXED DOWN TO A POINT WHERE THEY CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE COCKPIT. BOTH PILOTS WERE STRUCK ON THE HEAD BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE AS THE M/R AND YOKE ASSEMBLY WERE SHEARED FROM THE MAST.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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