Helicopter UH-1C 66-15136


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-15136
The Army purchased this helicopter 0567
Total flight hours at this point: 00001827
Date: 08/13/1969 MIA-POW file reference number: 1481
Incident number: 69081317.KIA
Unit: 170 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Armed Escort , Other Aircraft.
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at 0050 feet and 070 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YA913769 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYA913769)
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 KIA . .
The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 1481, OPERA, UH1P3, 22503 (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P CW2 HANSEN LESTER ALAN BNR


REFNO Synopsis:
HANSEN, LESTER ALAN Name: Lester Alan Hansen Rank/Branch: W2/US Army Unit: 170th Aviation Company, 17th Aviation Group, 1st Aviation Brigade Date of Birth: 01 July 1942 (Durango CO) Home City of Record: Pueblo CO Date of Loss: 13 August 1969 Country of Loss: South Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 141512N 1074200E (YA912773) Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Category: 2 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: UH1C Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing) REMARKS: SYNOPSIS: CW2 Hansen was the pilot of a UH1C on a reconnaissance team insertion mission on August 13 1969. The team was to be inserted at a LZ in southern Kontum Province, South Vietnam at a point where the Sang Sung River turns sharply to the east. As the helicopter approached the landing zone in the lead position, it was struck with small arms fire and crashed. Another helicopter in the flight immediately responded and began extracting the crew. Small arms fire caused the rescue helicopter to take off early, and CW2 Hansen was not able to get aboard. However, he did grab the skid, but as the aircraft gained altitude, CW2 Hanson was unable to maintain his grip and fell about 100-500 feet. Extensive air and ground searches were conducted for the next 4 days without revealing any trace of CW2 Hansen. He was listed Missing In Action. Hansen's family knew there was a possibility that he had survived to be captured, and waited for the war to end.

This record was last updated on 05/25/1998


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