Helicopter OH-6A 67-16460


Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16460
The Army purchased this helicopter 1168
Total flight hours at this point: 00000169
Date: 03/15/1969
Incident number: 690315161ACD Accident case number: 690315161 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 5 TC BN
The station for this helicopter was Camp Eagle in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 3
costing 147369
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:
MN O3 JD SNOW
TO SP6 BOWMAN ROBERT WAYNE KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK UNK, LCO, G
E5 DC CARTER, GM, D


Accident Summary:

 AT APPROXIMATELY 2120, 1K MARCH 1969, ^CPT SNOW^ UNDERTOOK TO PERFORM A TEST FLIGHT ON OH-6A HELICOPTER ^67-16460^ WHICH HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP FOR A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION. ^CPT SNOW^ WAS IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, ^SP6 BOWMAN^ WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT AND ^SP5 CARTER^ WAS IN THE RIGHT REAR SEAT. AFTER A NORMAL START AND A CHECK OF ALL INSTRUMENTS, HE PROCEEDED TO HOVER THE AIRCRAFT AROUND THE RAMP AREA. HE DETERMINED THAT A SLIGHT HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION WAS STILL PRESENT. HE DECIDED TO CHECK THE VIBRATION IN FLIGHT AND MADE A NORMAL TAKEOFF TO THE NORTH ALONG ROUTE 1, THEN RETURNED AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO THE DEPARTURE POINT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW WELL AND HAD ONLY A SLIGHT HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION. HE THEN PERFORMED SEVERAL PICKUPS TO A HOVER AND THEN LANDED FROM A HOVER IN AN AREA JUST OFF THE SOUTH EDGE OF THE RAMP. IN ONE OF THESE PICKUPS TO A HOVER, ^CPT SNOW^ NOTICED A SLIGHT BIND IN THE COLLECTIVE CONTROLS AND DISCUSSED IT WITH ^SP6 BOWMAN^ AND LET HIM FEEL THE BIND IN THE CONTROLS HIMSELF. ^SP6 BOWMAN^ DISMISSED IT AS NOT A PROBLEM BUT RATHER IT WAS A RESULT OF A CONTROL ROD TIGHTENING. AT THIS POINT, ^CPT SNOW^ BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO A HOVER IN A NORTHERLY HEADING IMMEDIATELY OFF THE SOUTH EDGE OF THE PSP RAMP. BEFORE THE LEFT SKID LEFT THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A TURN TO THE RIGHT WHICH CONTINUED AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A HOVER. AFTER TURNING ABOUT 90 TO THE RIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT MOVED BACKWARD AND THE TAIL PITCHED DOWN CONTACTING THE GROUND. AS A RESULT OF CONTACTING THE GROUND WHILE THE TAIL WAS TURNING TO THE LEFT, THE LOWER STABILIZER WAS BENT TO THE RIGHT ALLOWING THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES TO STRIKE THE GROUND. ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE SEPARATED FROM THE HUB ON IMPACT AND THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS TWISTED IN TWO. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PITCHED FORWARD AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT STRIKING THE PSP WITH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, SEVERING AT LEAST ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE AT THIS POINT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED ON THE SKIDS ON THE PSP AND MADE 10 TO 12 VIOLENT TURNS TO THE RIGHT. THE REAR PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED BEFORE THE RIGHT SKID WAS TORN OFF. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WHILE TURNING TO THE RIGHT 3 OR 4 MORE TIMES BEFORE COMING TO A REST ON THE RIGHT SIDE 170' NORTHE OF THE POINT OF INITIAL MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPACT. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING WHEN ^MR. GARANZUAY^ ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL BY UTILIZING THE EMERGENCY FUEL SHUT OFF. THE CREW WAS REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ^CPT SNOW^ AND ^SP5 CARTER^ SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND ^SP6 BOWMAN^ WAS DEAD.\\

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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