Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17740
The Army purchased this helicopter 0868
Total flight hours at this point: 00000725
Date: 06/11/1969
Incident number: 690611261ACD Accident case number: 690611261 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 282 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Quang Ngai in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 5 . . Injured = 8 . . Passengers = 12
costing 329145
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 W1 MH STANAGE
P W1 MA DELIA
CE SP5 KUNKLER HARRY GROVER III KIA
G E4 DA LOY
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK UNK, LCO, G
X1 TN BINH, PAX, G
X1 PD HUYEN, PAX, D
X1 HIEN TN, , PX, KIA
X1 TV KY, PAX, D
X1 TN AN, PAX, G
X1 NAM NV, , PX, KIA
GSG LOCKHART ROBERT LEE, MC, PX, KIA
E6 EE SEGOVIA, PAX, D
CPT MUNRO IVAN HALL, AR, PX, KIA
O4 RA PULLEN, PAX, D
E3 JR ROBERTS, PAX, D
Accident Summary:
ON 11 JUNE 1969, ACFT 67-17740, WAS WORKING FOR ADVISORY TEAM II OUT OF QUANG NGAI. DURING THE DAY IN QUESTION THE BLACK CAT, AS IT IS REFERRED TO, HAD FLOWN A MORNING MISSION TO CARRY PART OF THE STAFF TO SEVERAL ARTILLERY POSITIONS WITHIN THE DIVISION'S AREA OF OPERATION. AT NOON THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO QUANG NGAI. AT 1430 THE BLACK CAT WAS TO CARRY THE DIVISION COMMANDER AND THE SENIOR ADVISOR TO AN UNSPECIFIED LOCATION. IT RETURNED TO QUANG NGAI ONE HOUR LATER. AT 1630 WO STANAGE WAS GIVEN A MISSION TO FLY ONE-HALF HOURS COMMAND & CONTROL FOR THE 6TH ARVN REGT. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW DIRECTLY TO SAN TIEN, THE 6TH REGT CP, AND PICKED UP FIVE PASSENGERS INCLUDING CPT MUNRO, MAJ PULLEN, E-7 LOCKART, E-6 SEGOVIA AND CPT HUYEN. CPT MUNRO DIRECTED THE PILOT TO FLY TO OP-1. OP-1 IS A PINNACLE LOCATED ON A HILL APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET HIGH. THE ONLY SECURE POINT WITHIN THE AREA IS THE TOP OF THE PINNACLE ITSELF. KNOWN ENEMY POSITIONS ARE QUITE HEAVY THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID RECEIVE SNIPER FIRE FROM A VILLAGE AT THE BASE OF THE PINNACLE AFTER THE CRASH, DURING RESCUE OPERATIONS. THE PILOTS, BEING AWARE OF THE SITUATION MADE A HIGH-OVERHEAD, CIRCLING APPROACH INTO THE LZ. NO KNOWN FIRE WAS TAKEN BY THE AIRCRAFT ON APPROACH TO THE LZ OR DURING THE ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF. THE LZ WAS FAIRLY WELL CONSTRUCTED. IT IS LEVEL AND HAS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR ONE HELICOPTER TO LAND SAFELY. ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE LZ THERE IS AN INCLINE RISING TO THE PEAK OF THE PINNACLE. THE INCLINE CAUSES NO IMMEDIATE HAZARD TO THE SAFE LANDING OR TAKE OFF, BUT WOULD PREVENT TAKE OFFS TO THE SOUTH AND MAKE LANDINGS FROM THE SOUTH CRITICAL. ON THE NORTH, THE LZ DROPS OFF INTO A LOWER LEVEL OCCUPIED BY A PORTION OF THE MONTAGNARD VILLAGE THAT IS ON TOP OF THE PINNACLE. BOTH THE EAST AND WEST SIDES OF THE LZ ARE SHEER DROP OFFS BUT ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE BEST AVENUES OF APPROACH AND TAKE OFF. THE ONLY OBSTACLE THAT EXISTED ON THE LZ ON 11 JUNE WERE TO CONEX CONTAINERS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER. HOWEVER, THESE CONEXS WERE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR IN THE RESULTING ACCIDENT. AFTER THE PILOT TERMINATED HIS LANDING ON THE LZ, A NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE PERSONNEL APPROACHED THE HELICOPTER IN ANTICIPATION OF BOARDING. A TOTAL OF SIX PERSONS BOARDED THE HELICOPTER AT THIS TIME INCLUDING ONE AMERICAN AND FIVE ARVN'S WITH SOME ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT. CPT MUNRO MOTIONED TO THE PILOT THAT THEY WERE READY TO GO. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT AT THIS TIME, THE AIRCRAFT HAD 11 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. NO CREW HAD GIVEN ANY INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PASSENGERS ABOUT SAFETY REGULATIONS THAT ARE TO BE FOLLOWED IN ARMY AIRCRAFT. ONLY ONE PASSENGER WAS STRAPPED IN, MAJ PULLEN, AND EVERY PASSENGER STILL HAD HIS SLEEVES ROLLED UP. NEITHER THE GUNNER OR THE CREW CHIEF WERE STRAPPED IN. IT WAS STATED BY THE GUNNER THAT THEY NEVER USED RESTRAINTS DURING FLIGHT MISSIONS. AT THIS TIME, THE PILOT, WO D'ELIA, LIFTED THE HELICOPTER OFF THE GROUND AND PROCEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFTING UP, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, WO STANAGE, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING "KICK SOME OF THEM OFF." VERY SHORTLY AFTER THAT, HE WAS QUOTED AS TELLING THE PILOT HE WAS "LOSING RPM." AT THIS TIME, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEVERAL FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE PINNACLE. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO TURN IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION, TYPICAL OF A LOW ROTOR RPM CONDITION. THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WENT OVER THE EDGE, AT THE SAME TIME, WO STANAGE TOOK THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE PILOT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LZ, STANAGE INCREASED PITCH, HOWEVER, THIS ONLY AGGRAVATED THE POWER LOSS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOW COMPLETELY OFF THE EDGE, SPINNING AND OUT OF CONTROL WITH VERY LITTLE ROTOR RPM AND NO PEDAL CONTROL. WO D'ELIA STATED THAT THE LAST TIME HE REMEMBERS SEEING THE ENGINE TACHOMETER RPM, THE NEEDLE WAS STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND TAIL FIRST APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET DOWN THE MOUNTAIN FROM THE PINNACLE. AT THIS POINT, THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE FUSELAGE CONTINUED TO TUMBLE DOWN THE EMBANKMENT AND TERMINATED ON ITS BACK APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET FROM THE TAIL BOOM. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED, MAJ PULLEN WAS THE ONLY PASSENGER REMAINING INSIDE. BOTH PILOTS, THE GUNNER, AND MAJ PULLEN CLIMBED OUT OF THE WRECKAGE. SPARKS WERE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND WO STANAGE ATTEMPTED TO GET THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM THE AIRCRAFT, HOWEVER, IT HAD BEEN THROWN FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT FOUND. A FIRE STARTED SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND RESULTED IN THE DESTRUCTION EXCEPT SMALL PORTION OF TAIL BOOM 42 DEG AND 90 DEG GEAR BOX, AND TAIL ROTOR BLADE, OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ALL ITS COMPONENTS.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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