Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-00739
The Army purchased this helicopter 0167
Total flight hours at this point: 00001156
Date: 01/10/1970 MIA-POW file reference number: 1547
Incident number: 70011010.KIA
Unit: 71 AHC
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT239141 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBT239141)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 1547 ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
G SFC GRAZIOSI FRANCIS GEORGE RR
CE SFC ALLEN WAYNE CLOUSE RR
P CPT CROSBY HERBERT CHARLES RR
P CW3 HOWES GEORGE ANDREWS RR
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: On January 19, 1970, Capt. Herbert C. Crosby, pilot; WO George A. Howes, co-pilot; SP5 Wayne C. Allen, crew chief; and SP4 Francis G. Graziosi, door gunner; were flying a UH-1C helicopter (serial #66-739) as the flight lead in a flight of three helicopters returning from Tien Phuoc to the unit base at Chu Lai, South Vietnam.
At 1300 hours, the three helicopters departed Tien Phuoc. Five to ten minutes later, due to instrument flight rules, Capt. Crosby directed the flight to change to a different flight heading. When the helicopters changed frequencies to contact Chu Lai ground control approach, radio contact was lost with Capt. Crosby and was not regained.
The other two aircraft reached Chu Lai heliport, and at 1400 hours, search efforts were begun for the missing aircraft, although the crew was not found.
According to a 1974 National League of Families report, George Howes survived the crash of this helicopter. The report further maintains that the loss occurred in Laos, although the coordinates place it some 40-odd miles from that country.
A North Vietnamese prisoner released later reported that he had seen Howes in captivity the same month the helicopter went down. A second sighting by a villager in Phuoc Chouc (or Phouc Chau) village reported Howes and two other POWs stopped for water at his house in February, 1970, en route to Laos. Whether these reports also relate to Allen, Crosby and Graziosi, is unknown.
This record was last updated on 12/30/2010
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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