Helicopter UH-1H 64-13746


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 64-13746
The Army purchased this helicopter 0865
Total flight hours at this point: 00003060
Date: 10/28/1969
Incident number: 691028241ACD Accident case number: 691028241 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 15 MED 1 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Phouc Vinh in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT928441 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT928441)
Number killed in accident = 3 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 2
costing 395145
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P CW3 HODGES FERMAN BOBBY KIA
CE E6 F LEWANDOWSKI
G E3 S DANDREA

Passengers and/or other participants:
SP4 CINOTTI RALPH SILVIO, AR, CX, A
SP4 DENLEY BILLY WAYNE, AR, CX, A


Accident Summary:

 AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE RUN FROM PHU LOI TO PHUOC VINH TO PICK UP PARTS. THE FLYING TIME FOR THAT DISTANCE IS APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN FLOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES OF THE 30 MINUTES FLIGHT WHEN THE CRASH OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER CONTACTED THE PHUOC VINH TOWER AND REPORTED THAT HE WAS AT THE SONG BE BRIDGE. HE STATED HE WAS EXPERIENCING IFR CONDITIONS AND THAT HE WAS BECOMING DISORIENTED. HE REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM PHUOC VINH GCA. THE TOWER INSTRUCTED HIM TO CLIMB TO AN ALTITUDE OF 900 FEET OR 1000 FEET. THE TOWER THEN ASKED HIM HIS PRESENT ALTITUDE, AND THE PILOT REPORTED 900 FEET. THE TOWER INSTRUCTED HIM TO MAINTAIN AN ALTITUDE OF 900 FEET SO RADAR COULD ATTEMPT TO PICK HIM UP, TO WHICH THE PILOT REPLIED, "ROGER." GCA WAS UNABLE TO PICK THE AIRCRAFT UP DUE TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. THE TOWER THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO TAKE A 360 DEGREE HEADING AND HE WOULD FLY OUT OF THE STORM BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY 2 MILES WIDE. THE PILOT REPLIED, "THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA." ABOUT I MINUTES LATER THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS ON A 360 DEGREE HEADING. THE TOWER SAID, "ROGER", I'LL SHINE THE WHITE LIGHT OF MY LIGHT GUN IN YOUR DIRECTION." THE PILOT SAID THAT HE THOUGHT HE SAW THE LIGHT BUT HE COULD NOT BE CERTAIN, SO HE MAINTAINED HIS HEADING. THE PILOT THEN REPORTED THAT HE SAW LIGHTS BELOW HIM. HE DESCENDED AN4 R5769T5 3 AT IT WAS THE SONG BE BRIDGE. HE THEN REPORTED TO THE TOWER THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD VERTIGO. HE REPORTED THAT THE TURBULENCE WAS VERY BAD AND THAT HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO TRANSMISSIONS FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE, THEN THE PILOT REPORTED, "TOWER, I NEED RADAR ASAP, I ALMOST CRACKED IT UP IN THE TREES THAT TIME." THE TOWER CALLED HIM BACK, BUT THERE WAS NO ANSWER.THE TOWER THEN MADE A CALL ON GUARD, BUT STILL THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE UH-1H WAS SEEN BY A GROUND UNIT AT THE SONG BE BRIDGE. IT FLEW OVER THE BRIDGE THREE TIMES, JUST BARELY CLEARING THE BRIDGE EACH TIME. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE CLIMBING THEN DIVING AND ROCKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. AFTER THE LAST PASS OVER THE BRIDGE, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED AND HEADED TO THE SOUTH. IT DOVE TOWARD THE EARTH THEN BECAME NOSE HIGH CLIMBING PRACTICALLY STRAIGHT UP. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED OVER TO ONE SIDE AND FELL NOSE LOW TOWARD THE EARTH. THERE WAS A FLASH OF LIGHT AND A LOUD EXPLOSION, AND THEN A CLOUD OF SMOKE WAS OBSERVED. THE GROUND UNIT, WHICH WAS LOCATED AT THE BRIDGE, RUSHED OUT TO THE CRASH SITE TO HELP THE WOUNDED AND REMOVE THE BODIES FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE PILOT AND TWO CREW MEMBERS WERE KILLED BY THE DECELERATIVE FORCES OF THE INITIAL CRASH.\\

This record was last updated on 01/03/2000


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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