Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 66-00109
Date: 12/10/1969
Incident number: 691210161ACD Accident case number: 691210161 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 243 ASHC
The station for this helicopter was Dong Ba Thin in
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 0
costing 1108448
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC O2 GW DURR
P W1 JM BACH
C SP5 KEENER RONALD FLOYD KIA
G E5 CC PARSONS
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT WAS ON A RESUPPLY MISSION AND HAD BEEN FLYING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES ON THIS FLIGHT. JUST PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT THE CREW HAD EXECUTED A NORMAL APPROACH AND DROPPED OFF A SLING LOADED EMPTY WATER TRAILER. THE NEXT LOAD WAS EXTERNAL AND WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 20 METERS TO THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT, WHO WAS FLYING AT THE TIME, HOVERED TO PICK UP THE LOAD. AS THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME OVER THE LOAD, THE CREW EXPERIENCED WHAT SEEMED LIKE A SAS HARD-OVER (ERRATIC RIGHT ROLL ATTITUDE CHANGE). THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE ERRATIC MOVEMENTS AND CALLED FOR SAS TO BE TURNED OFF. THE EXACT TIME OF THE SAS BEING TURNED OFF CANNOT BE DETERMINED, HOWEVER, THE EMERGENCY SAS SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION IN THE WRECKAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO MOVE APPROXIMATELY 75 METERS TO THE RIGHT AND SLIGHTLY TO THE REAR TOWARD THE BEACH AREA. THE AIRCRAFT MADE ANOTHER VIOLENT RIGHT LATERAL UPWARD MOVEMENT, LEFT SIDE DOWN, TO A POINT APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES FROM A LEVEL FLIGHT ATTITUDE, LOST LIFT, AND FELL ON ITS LEFT SIDE ALLOWING BOTH ROTORS TO STRIKE THE GROUND SIMULTANEOUSLY. EXCEPT FOR THE DETERIORATION OF THE ROTOR SYSTEM, AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT, THERE WAS NO MOVEMENT AFTER INITIAL IMPACT. FIRE IMMEDIATELY BROKE OUT AND COMSUMED THE CABIN FUSELAGE SECTION.\\
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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