Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47B tail number 67-18461
The Army purchased this helicopter 1167
Total flight hours at this point: 00000273
Date: 03/22/1969
Incident number: 690322111ACD Accident case number: 690322111 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 178 ASHC
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: AT997247 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PAT997247)
Number killed in accident = 8 . . Injured = 14 . . Passengers = 38
costing 1415500
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 W2 JA CAMPBELL
P O3 NR ALLEN
CE E4 LA TONJES
G E4 DL MCGUIRE
FE SP5 TEDFORD ROBERT CHARLES KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK UNKNOWN, PAX, G
UNK PILLSBURY, PAX, G
W2 LEUCHEK, PAX, D
O2 DB BOWLES, PAX, D
E4 E RIVERA, PAX, D
O2 LA WILSON, PAX, C
O2 BL BRANDON, PAX, D
O2 HG KNOFF, PAX, D
SP4 GODEN RICHARD WALTER, AR, PX, KIA
E7 OL KELLY, PAX, D
SP4 BOOLIN CLARENCE HENRY, AR, PX, KIA
E4 TM SEARS, PAX, D
SP4 RIOS-VELAZQUEZ LEONARDO JR, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 REYNOLDS GEORGE F JR, NOT, A
E4 JW JACKSON, PAX, D
E5 RL FLOYD, PAX, C
SP4 HOWELL CHARLES DENNIS, AR, PX, KIA
E5 JG ANDERSON, PAX, D
E8 JC MCWATER, PAX, C
SGT VALLANCE DAVID CLARK, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 STAMAN TERRY LA VERN, AR, PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT HAD THE ROUTINE MISSION TO RESUPPLY FIRE SUPPORT BASE^"WEST"^WITH HOT RATIONS, CANNED GOODS, SODA POP, BEER, LUBMER, MAIL AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS CARGO. THESE ITEMS WERE LOADED INTERNALLYALONG WITH 25 PASSENGERS AT^LZ BALDY^ THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED AND A HOVER CHECK WAS PERFORMED. DIFFICULTY IN HOVERING PROMPTED THE DECISION TO REDUCE THE LOAD AND FIVE PASSENGERS WERE PUT OFF THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME. AFTER A SUBSEQUENT HOVER CHECK, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED^LZ BALDY^WITH THE REMAINING TWENTY PASSENGERS, INTERNAL CARGO AND CREW OF FIVE AT^1300 HOURS^.THE CLIMBOUT WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH A RATE OF CLIMB INCREASING TO 650 FPM AT 70 TO 90 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED OFF AT 2500 MSL AND CONTINUED ON A SOUTH SOUTHWEST COURSE TO^LZ WEST^WITH PILOT ^ALLEN^ AT THE CONTROLS. A RADIO CALL TO THE LZ GROUND ELEMENT WAS MADE WHILE ENROUTE WITH INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE LOAD AND ETA. NO FURTHER RADIO CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTED WITH ^LZ WEST^ AFTER THIS INITIAL CALL. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED ^LZ WEST^ FROM THE NORTH AND PROCEEDED TO THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE HILL MASS. A WIDE GRADUAL TURN TO FINAL WAS INITIATED TO THE NORTHWEST AND THE PILOT ESTABLISHED A FINAL APPROACH TO THE PAD WITH A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 330 DEGREES ABOUT ONE MILE OUT. INITIAL RATE OF DESCENT WAS ESTABLISHED AT 650 FPM WITH THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER MONITORING THE RPM AND THE RADIOS. BASED ON SEVERAL FIRES BURNING IN TVICINITY OF THE HILLTOP THE CREW ESTIMATED THE WIND TO BE OUT OF THE NORTHEAST. NEITHER AVIATOR REPORTS SEEING THE AMERICAN FLAG FLYING ON THE HILLTOP. SMOKE WAS NOT REQUESTED FROM THE GROUND ELEMENT AND NONE WAS PROVIDED. APPROACHING SHORT FINAL THE AC NOTICED THAT HE HAD USED ALL HIS AVAILABLE BEEP IN ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN 225 RPM BUT WAS STILL EXPERIENCING A SLIGHT DROP. HE INFORMED THE PILOT NOT TO PULL ANYMORE PITCH. THE PILOT THEN STOPPED PULLING ON THE THRUST AND, CROSS CHECKING HIS INSTRUMENTS, SAW THAT HE WAS PULLING 860 LBS OF TORQUE, PASSING THROUGH 40 KNOTS AT ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY FROM THE HELIPAD. HE REPORTS THE ROTOR RPM TO BE 200 AT THIS TIME. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SETTLE AND WAS FALLING BELOW THE LIP OF THE RIDGELINE. THE AC TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS, BANKED THE AIRCRAFT SHARPLY (30 TO 40 DEGREE BANK) TO THE LEFT AND LOWERED THE THRUST, CRASH SEQUENCE. AFTER A 180 DEGREE TURN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED DOWN THE HILLSIDE TO THE SOUTHEAST AND STRUCK A SMALL TREE WITH THE AFT ROTOR DISK. CONTINUING IN A LEFT TURN TO THE EAST IN AN ATTEMPT TO PARALLEL THE RIDGELINE THE AIRCRAFT ALSO HAD A CONSIDERABLE SIDESLIP TO THE RIGHT. INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WAS MADE WITH THE AFT LEFT GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT IN A NEAR LEVEL ATTITUDE ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 045 DEGREES. THE SLOPE OF THE HILL AT THIS POINT IS GRADUAL AT ABOUT 008 DEGREES COMPARED TO THE OVERALL 045 DEGREE SLOPE ANGLE OF THE HILL MASS. THIS INITIAL IMPACT SHEARED THE AFT LEFT GEAR FROM THE FUSELAGE DUE TO THE HIGH SIDEWARD LOAD PLACED ON IT BY THE RIGHT SIDESLIP MOTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AFT RAMP STRUCTURE ALSO CONTACTED THE GROUND AT THIS POINT. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED ABOUT THIS AFT PIVOT POINT CAUSING THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO CONTACT THE GROUND WITH A ROLL MOTION TO THE RIGHT. INERTIA CARRIED THE AIRCRAFT OVER ON IT'S BACK IN WHAT IS DESCRIBED AS A SLOW ROLL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP INVERTED, ON A GENERAL HEADING OF NORTH. THE AFT END IMMEDIATELY BURST INTO FLAMES WHICH COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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