Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00993
The Army purchased this helicopter 1266
Total flight hours at this point: 00001571
Date: 08/15/1969
Incident number: 69081555.KIA
Unit: 174 AHC
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BS622352 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBS622352)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
CE SP4 DEL VALLE-SANCHEZ ALEJO KIA
G PFC GRAHAM JOHNNIE JR KIA
AC WO1 SHIELDS ROBERT HAZEN II KIA
P WO1 BOZINSKI JOHN MICHAEL KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
SP4 LENTZ DAVID BURNETT, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 MASSE RAYMOND GEORGE, AR, PX, KIA
CPL MCDONELL TERRY KEITH, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 ROBERTSON RONNIE LEE, AR, PX, KIA
CPL SMITH JOHN GERDES, AR, PX, KIA
CPL SOMERVILLE WILLIAM HAROLD, AR, PX, KIA
War Story:
Aircraft was trail in flight of four with mission of putting Infantry in to take out .51 cal that had been firing up aircraft going in and out of San Juan Hill. Gun could not be knocked out by artillery or air strike and decision was to put infantry in to take out the gun, because it was constantly being moved. The .51 cal hosed aircraft. Mast was hit causing main rotor separation and tailboom was severed. Aircraft was on final to LZ at 200 feet, came apart hit the ground exploded on hill top and then rolled on fire down to the bottom of a ravine. Crew of four and six 11th BDE infantry killed.
from Mike Sloniker 10 Dec 95
This record was last updated on 04/05/2015
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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