Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16525
The Army purchased this helicopter 1269
Total flight hours at this point: 00000101
Date: 02/06/1970
Incident number: 700206191ACD Accident case number: 700206191 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 281 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Nha Trang in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BR999235 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBR999235)
Number killed in accident = 5 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 4
costing 445145
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 W1 RL LESONIK
P W1 O REILLY TARRY THOMAS KIA
CE SP5 KAISER FRANK MELVIN KIA
G SP5 JOHNSON ALAN HOWARD KIA
P WO1 OREILLY TARRY THOMAS KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK, MS, G
X1 HUYNH VS, , PX, KIA
X1 HUYNH, PAX, G
1LT DILORENZO RAYMOND JOHN, AR, PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A SUPPORT MISSION FOR MACV TEAM 42, BINH DINH PROVINCE, RVN, APO 96238. THE MISSION CARRIED THEM FROM QUIN NHON TO VINH QUANG WHERE THEY MADE A STOP TO OFF LOAD A DECEASED PERSON. THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO TUY PHUOC ON THE SECOND LEG OF THE MISSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 200-300 FEET AGL AT AN UNDETERMINED AIRSPEED. IT WAS HEADED IN A NORTH WESTERLY DIRECTION WHEN WITNESSES NOTICED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCH UP AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT MADE A DESCENDING LEFT TURN AS THOUGH IN AUTOROTATION. A CLANKING OR LOUD RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT, SMOKE OR FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE COWLING BELOW THE SWASH PLATE ASSEMBLY JUST BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT MADE A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. THIS TURN TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FINAL HEADING OF 150 PLACED THE AIRCRAFT IN A DOWNWIND LANDING SITUATION. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED WITH EXCESSIVE FORWARD AIRSPEED, STRUCK THE GROUND RIGHT SKID FIRST. AFTER IMPACT IT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET BEFORE STRIKING A 2 FOOT BY A 2 FOOT DIKE. IT THEN TRAVELED 25 FEET MORE WHERE IT STRUCK A 4 FOOT HIGH BANK AND BURST INTO FLAMES. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN COMING APART AND THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 110 FEET THROUGH THE AIR BEFORE IMPACTING AGAIN. FROM THIS POINT THE FUSELAGE SLID AND TUMBLED ANOTHER 90 FEET WHERE IT CAME TO REST AND BURNED.\\
This record was last updated on 05/10/2018
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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