Helicopter UH-1D 66-16244


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16244
The Army purchased this helicopter 0467
Total flight hours at this point: 00001731
Date: 03/31/1969
Incident number: 690331081ACD Accident case number: 690331081 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 192 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Phan Thiet in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 5 . . Passengers = 3
costing 387345
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 WO1 THOMAN THEODORE VAIL KIA
CP W1 JL BRUSSTAR
CE E5 JD PETERSON
G SP4 RUSSELL WAYNE HOWARD KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
X2 LV TAI, PAX, D
CIV UNK, PAX, D
E4 EL DENNY, PAX, D


Accident Summary:

 THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE MACV PAD AT ^PHAN THIET^ AT APPROXIMATELY ^1600^ HOURS, AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO ^WHISKEY RELAY^ TO OFF-LOAD CARGO. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED ^WHISKEY RELAY^ ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 360 DEGREES AND APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 1500 FEET, FLEW OVER AND CIRCLED THE PAD. AT THIS TIME GROUND PERSONNEL POPPED SMOKE. WITH THE CO-PILOT AT THE CONTROLS, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED ON FINAL APPROACH ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 090 DEGREES. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LANDING ON THE PAD, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO COME UP AND THE PILOT TOOK CONTROL AFTER STATING TWICE, "I'VE GOT IT." SOON AFTER THE PILOT TOOK THE CONTROLS, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SPIN IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE. THREE WITNESSES HAVE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SPUN COUNTER-CLOCKWISE, WHILE ONE HAS STATED THAT IT SPUN CLOCKWISE. AFTER SPINNING THREE OR FOUR TIMES, THE TAILBOOM STRUCK A TREE STUMP AND THE AIRCRAFT CABIN SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM AND BOTH ROLLED DOWN THE HILL IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, WITH THE CABIN BURSTING INTO FLAMES. AFTER THE CABIN STOPPED ROLLING, THE COPILOT EXITED UNDER HIS OWN POWER. IT IS UNDETERMINED AS TO WHETHER THE PILOT, THE CREW-CHIEF, THE ARVN SOLDIER AND THE KOREAN EXITED UNDER THEIR OWN POWER OR WERE THROWN CLEAR BY IMPACT. IT IS KNOWN THAT ^SP/4 DENNY^ (PAX) WAS THROWN CLEAR WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL ON TOP OF THE HILL. THE DOOR GUNNER APPARENTLY WAS TRAPPED IN THE WRECKAGE. THE NCOIC AT ^WHISKEY RELAY^ HAD HIS MEDIC AND OTHER PERSONNEL BEGIN RESCUE OPERATIONS AND CALLED FOR MEDEVAC. PERSONNEL INVOLVED WERE EVACUATED 20-25 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT.\\ 

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 name list

Return to the KIA panel date index

Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association