Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 66-19045
The Army purchased this helicopter 0167
Total flight hours at this point: 00001452
Date: 10/31/1969
Incident number: 691031181ACD Accident case number: 691031181 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/228 AVN
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Bear Cat in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 5 . . Passengers = 0
costing 1051517
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:
AC CW3 GETZ PAUL ROBERT KIA
P W1 LK JONES
CE E4 GL WRIGHT
G E3 JL BLAIR
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BEAR CAT, RVN, AT 0710 HOURS TO BEGIN THE DAYS MISSIONS. THE ARICRAFT WAS THE SECOND AIRCRAFT IN A FLIGHT OF TWO. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MINUTES OF FLIGHT THE PILOTS NOTICED THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT FLASH. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE NUMBER TWO HYDRAULIC BOOST SYSTEM CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE PRESSURE WENT TO ZERO. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND MADE A RADIO CALL STATING THE NATURE OF HIS PROBLEM. HE STARTED A DESCENT AND WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME STATION. THE NUMBER TWO SYSTEM WAS ISOLATED AND THE AIRSPEED SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 70 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 5 MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL FAILURE OF THE NUMBER TWO SYSTEM THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF NUMBER ONE BOOST SYSTEM AND CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AT 50 FEET AND 70 KMOTS. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO A RAVINE IN A RELATIVELY FLAT ATTITUDE. THE PILOTS HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE LOSS OF THE NUMBER 1 HYDRAULIC BOOST SYSTEM. UPON IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE IN THE AREA OF THE ENGINES AND THE COMBINING TRANSMISSION. THE AFT SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. NO FIRE WAS EXPERIENCED IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, EXCEPT FOR THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, WHO WAS PINNED IN THE WRECKAGE IN THE LEFT PILOTS SEAT.\\
War Story:
WO-1 Larry K. Jones was in A/228th ASH, 1st. CAV at Bear Cat, RVN, in 10-69. He was pilot in CH-47A s/n 66-19045 which experienced a dual hydraulics failure on 10-31-69. The Aircraft Commander, CW-3 Paul Getz, was killed in the accident and Larry was seriously injured and got a free trip back to the states. He was in country less than a month and when I next saw him (1971 or 1972) he was back on flying status at Ft. Sill. I don't believe he ever went back to Viet Nam. I Have no idea where he is today. from BruceKurtz@aol.com Sept 2001.
This record was last updated on 09/28/2001
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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