Helicopter UH-1H 67-17776


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17776
The Army purchased this helicopter 0968
Total flight hours at this point: 00001043
Date: 11/05/1969
Incident number: 691105171ACD Accident case number: 691105171 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/227 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Lai Khe in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 466965
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 WO1 RUMBLE GEROULD MCLEAN III KIA
P WO1 MCCARTNEY KEN ALLEN KIA
CE SP4 QUILLIN WILLIAM THOMAS KIA
G SP4 POSEY CHARLES ALBERT KIA


Accident Summary:

 AIRCRAFT WAS ON A ROUTIE TAXI MISSION. THE AIRCRAFT AHD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM RUNWAY 050 AT LAI KHE ENROUTE OT PHUOC VINH. AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AGL, THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF FLIGHT CONTROL DIFFICULTIES ACCOMPANIED BY A SEVERE VIBRATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CONTACT WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FROM HIS UNIT ON VHF RADIO. AN EYEWITNESS, SSG BARRY MORSE, SAW THE AIRCRAFT PITCH ON ITS SIDE, RIGHT SIDE HIGH, AND BEGIN A SERIES ALTERNATING LEFT AND RIGHT LONGTUDINAL OSCILLATIONS UNTIL IT IMPACTED INTO THE GROUND. UPON IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT BURST INTO FLAMES AND THE FUSELAGE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. THE FIRST AIRCRAFT TO LAND AT THE CRASH SCENE WAS THE AIRCRAFT THAT HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AIRCRAFT 776. THE AIRCRAFT THAT LANDED WAS PILOTED BY MAJ SANDERS AND CPT JONES. THEY OBSERVED THAT THE CREW CHIEF AND DOOR GUNNER WERE BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION. THEY IMMEDIATELY EXTRACTED THE RIGHT SEAT PILOT. AT THIS TIME A MEDEVAC AIRCRAFT LANDED. MAJ SANDERS AND CPT JONES LEFT THE SCENE TO RETURN TO LAI KHE AND PICK UP FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, LEAVING THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL TO EXTRACT THE REMAINING BODIES.\\

This record was last updated on 05/25/1998


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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