Helicopter OH-6A 67-16644


Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16644
The Army purchased this helicopter 0369
Total flight hours at this point: 00000275
Date: 07/10/1969
Incident number: 69071010.KIA
Unit: 1 BDE 1 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT381844 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT381844)
Helicopter took 4 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
causing a Fire.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 DOI, 01 INJ . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, CRAFX, CASRP (Operations Report. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Crash Facts Message. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
G PFC WILLIAMS RICHARD HARRY KIA
AC WO1 HOWARD JAMES B


War Story:
U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16644 from July 10, 1969:

On July 10, 1969, two scout ships (OH-6A’s) from Headquarters & Headquarters Company (HHC), 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) “Flying Circus” were operating with an Air Force spotter plane in a hot area north of Nui Ba Den, about one to two miles south of the Cambodian border. The team engaged the NVA in order to determine the enemy's strength and exact location while the FAC prepared to call in an air strike. Both ships came under heavy fire from multiple .51 and .30 caliber machine guns, and PFC Richard H. Williams’ ship was shot down. The helicopter crashed through some trees and immediately caught fire. PFC Williams, the gunner in the aircraft, did not escape from the machine. The pilot, James Howard, received burns to over half of his body. The scout team had uncovered the NVA's attempt to mount a massive assault on a new firebase that was being inserted into the area. Three sets of air strikes were called into the area before the anti-aircraft guns were finally silenced. (Information supplied by James Howard and Keith Zuhlke) [Taken from flying-circus.com]

This record was last updated on 05/29/2015


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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