Helicopter AH-1G 67-15707


Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 67-15707
The Army purchased this helicopter 0868
Total flight hours at this point: 00000357
Date: 07/10/1969
Incident number: 690710251ACD Accident case number: 690710251 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/2/17 CAV
This was an Operational Loss caused by an accident by Accident with the mission function of Maintenance Flight (test flight)
The station for this helicopter was Phu Bai in South Vietnam
Casualties = YES . . Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 1
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
costing 577430
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center AVDAC database. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was recovered

Crew Members:
P CW2 CHRISTENSON WILLIAM B KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
1LT FRYE JOHN R, AR, PX, KIA


Accident Summary:

 AT APPROXIMATELY 1510 HOURS ON 10 JULY 1969, CW2 CHRISTENDON, WITHOUT PROPER AUTHORIZATION TOOK HELICOPTER AH-1G 67-15707 FROM LZ SALLY ON AN UNNECESSARY TEST FLIGHT WITH AN UNQUALIFIED OBSERVER, 1LT FRYE. AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 HOURS, WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY SAW AN UNIDENTIFIED AH-1G IN THE VICINITY OF THE CRASH SITE, PERFOMRING ACROBATIC FLIGHT AND SIMULATED FIRING RUNS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1620 HOURS, A WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AH-1G IN A STEEP DIVE, TRAILING SMOKE. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED WITH AN EXPLOSION ON IMPACT. A SECOND, LARGER EXPLOSION OCCURRED ACCORDING TO THIS WITNESS WHICH HE STATED APPEARED TO BE A FUEL CELL. A VIETNAMESE WITNESS STATED THAT THE ROTOR HEAD CAME OFF WHILE THE HELICOPTER WAS STILL HIGH IN THE AIR. THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD WITH ONE BLADE AND A PORTION OF THE OTHER BLADE STILL ATTACHED WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 400 METERS NORTH OF THE CENTER OF THE CRASH SITE. THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD WAS INTACT WITH A PORTION OF THE MAST ASSEMBLY STILL ATTACHED. THE MISSING SECTION OF BLADE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 250 METERS EAST OF THE CRASH SITE. THE TRANSMISSION TOP CASE, MAST ASSEMBLY, AND SWASH PLATE ASSEMBLY WERE FOUND 400 METERS NORTHEST OF THE CRASH SITE. THE SCISSORS AND SLEEVE ASSEMBLY AND THE FRICTION COLLET WERE FOUND NEARLY ON A LINE BETWEEN THE MAIN ROTOR HUB AND THE TRANSMISSION TOP CASE. A PORTION OF THE TRANSMISSION OIL RESERVOIR WAS FOUND NEAR THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD. WRECKAGE AT THE CRASH SITE WAS WIDELY SCATTERED WITH SMALL PIECES FOUND AS FAR AS 75 METERS FROM THE CENTER OF IMPACT. THE LARGEST COMPONENTS WERE LOCATED WITHIN 50 FEET OF THE IMPACT CENTER. A SMALL CRATER WAS SELECTED AS THE CENTER OF IMPACT. THE CRATER WAS FORMED BY THE EXPLOSION OF AMMUNITION UPON IMPACT. THERE WERE NO TRACES OF BURNED FUEL IN THIS CRATER. THE SURROUNDING AREA AND PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT DID SHOW FUEL BURNS. THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE ROTOR HEAD, ROTOR BLADES AND TRANSMISSION TOP CASE DID NOT SHOW BURNS.\\

This record was last updated on 04/15/2004


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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