Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 66-07829
The Army purchased this helicopter 1067
Total flight hours at this point: 00000785
Date: 01/04/1970
Incident number: 700104111ACD Accident case number: 700104111 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/1/9 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Phouc Vinh in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YT000571 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYT000571)
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 0
costing 215021
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 WO1 WHITMORE JAMES ROBERT KIA
OB SSG WILLIAMS WALDO ALVA KIA
G E4 WILSON JAMES
Accident Summary:
THE CREW OF OH-6A, SN 66-7829, WERE ASSIGNED A "PINK TEAM" MISSION. THE MISSION WAS IN SUPPORT OF THE 2D BDE, 1ST CAV DIV (AM), IN THE SONG BE, RVN, LOCAL AREA. THE MISSION CONSISTED OF ONE OH-6A HELICOPTER (LOW BIRD), WITH ONE AH-1G GUN SHIP AS ESCORT AND ATTACK SUPPORT. THE AIRCRAFT, OH-6A, SN 66-7829, WAS TO PROCEED FROM HOME STATION PHUOC VINH, RVN, TO MARRY UP WITH AN AH-1G GUN SHIP IN THE LOAL AREA OF SONG BE, RVN, WHERE THE TWO AIRCRAFT WERE TO CONDUCT A SEARCH AND DESTROY, LAST LIGHT MISSION. AIRCRAFT OH-6A, SN 66-7829, DEPARTED PHUOC VINH, AT ABOUT 1500 HOURS, 4 JANUARY 1970, FLYING LOW LEVEL ENROUTE TO THE SONG BE, RVN, LOCAL AREA. AT ABOUT 1518 HOURS, WO1 WITMORE BUZZED "D" TROOP, RAT PATROL, 1/9 CAV, 1ST CAV DIV (AM), ENROUTE TO HIS MISSION. AT APPROXIMATELY 1520 HOURS, AIRCRAFT S29 CRASHED INTO AN OPEN AREA EAST OF HIGHWAY 1A, ABOUT SEVEN THOUSAND METERS NORTH OF PHUOC VINH, RVN.\\ APPROXIMATELY 100 METERS SOUTH OF THE MAIN BODY, WHICH EXPLODED AND BURNED IMMEDIATELY UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. AT THE POINT OF SEPARATION, THE AIRCRAFT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND INITIATED UNCONTROLLED RIGHT HAND ROTATIONS PIVOTING AROUND THE LOGITUDINAL CENTER OF GRAVITY. THE GUNNER, SP4 JAMES WILSON, WAS THROWN FROM THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 30 METERS PRIOR TO THE MAIN BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE GUNNER WAS STRUCK BY THE RIGHT SKID AS HE WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THIS STRIKE BROKE THE GUNNER'S JAW AND HE WAS UNCONSIOUS WHEN HE HIT THE GROUND.\\ THE AIRCRAFT MAIN BODY MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND REMAINED AT THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE MAIN PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT EXPLODED AND BURNED WHEN IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PILOT, WO1 WITMORE, AND OBSERVER, SSG WALDO WILLIAMS, REMAINED WITH THE FORWARD FUSELAGE AND DIED EITHER DURING IMPACT OR BY ASOHYXIATION IN THE BURNING AIRCRAFT.\\
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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