Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16094
The Army purchased this helicopter 0769
Total flight hours at this point: 00000114
Date: 10/21/1969
Incident number: 691021211ACD Accident case number: 691021211 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 189 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Camp Holloway in
UTM grid coordinates: YA934583 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYA934583)
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 7 . . Passengers = 6
costing 208867
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 JD RAY
P W2 TP BLANCHARD
CE E5 JL ULMSCHNIDER
G SP4 COOK JOHN EDWARD KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
, LCO, G
SP4 THOMPSON DALE EUGENE, AR, PX, KIA
E4 DW RABIDOUX, PAX, D
E4 LJ AVERY, PAX, D
GE STUAVE, PAX, D
E3 RM HAYDEN, PAX, D
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT WAS WORKING AS A LIFT SHIP. THE SHIP WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL AT NEW PLEI DJERENG. AFTER WHICH THEY MOVED TO THE IOC PAD TO PICK UP A LOAD OF FIVE AMERICAN TROOPS WITH PACKS. IT WAS A TEN MINUTE FLIGHT TO THE LZ. THERE WERE TWO OTHER SHIPS AHEAD OF THEM. WO RAY WAS IN CONTACT WITH HIS HIGHER AS TO FURTHER ORDERS AS THEY WERE PAST THE NORMAL RELEASE TIME. HE WAS TOLD TO RETURN TO HOME BASE. WO RAY INFORMED THE GROUND COMMANDER THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD TO RETURN TO HOME BASE. THE GROUND COMMANDER SAID THERE WERE MORE TROOPS TO BE MOVED. WO RAY SAID THAT IT COULD BE DONE. AT THIS POINT HE BEGAN HIS APPROACH TO THE LZ. WO RAY AND HIS CREW HAD MADE A NUMBER OF SORTIES INTO THE LZ ON THE 21ST OF OCTOBER. THERE HAD BEEN NO UNUSUAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED GOING IN THIS HOVER HOLE. THE LZ WAS THE AREA CUT OUT BY A 5,000 LB BOMB AND HAD 50-60 FOOT STUMPS IN IT. THEY AHD BEEN LANDING INTO A 45 DEGREE UP SLOPE. THESE STUMPS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLEARED BY THE GROUND UNIT AS THE DAY PROGRESSED. THE AIRCRAFT THAT LANDED IN THE LZ JUST PRIOR TO WO RAY WAS OBSERVED TO EXPERIENCE SOME DIFFICULTIES. THE WEATHER WAS OVERCAST WITH LIGHT RAIN. THE WIND WAS COLM AND DA 6,000 FEET. WO RAY'S APPROACH INTO THE LZ WAS NORMAL UNTIL A RAPID DESCENT WAS NOTED WHERE UPON THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A 50 FOOT STUMP, FOLLOWED BY A MAIN ROTOR STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON ITS LEFT SIDE. CWO BLANCHARD SHUT OFF ALL SYSTEMS EXCEPT THE THROTTLE, AS IT WAS JAMMED. WO RAY, CWO BLANCHARD AND SP5 ULMSCHNIDER WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT UNAIDED. THE GUNNER WAS THROWN CLEAR.\\
This record was last updated on 10/23/2010
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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