Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15241
The Army purchased this helicopter 1268
Total flight hours at this point: 00000565
Date: 02/06/1970
Incident number: 700206221ACD Accident case number: 700206221 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 326 MED 101 ABN
The station for this helicopter was Phu Bai in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 455945
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 CPT WISDOM JESSE ALLAN KIA
P WO1 THATCHER GARY DAVID KIA
CE SP4 WILLIAMS MORRIS EDWARD KIA
MD SGT WALTON RICHARD F KIA
Accident Summary:
AT APPROXIMATELY 1930 HOURS, 6 FEBRUARY 1970, THE 326TH MEDICAL AIR AMBULANCE PLATOON RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR AEROMEDICAL EVACUATION FROM A FIELD LOCATION. THE PATIENT WAS REPORTED TO BE SUFFERING STOMACH CRAMPS AND VOMITING BLOOD. THE FIELD AIDMAN HAD DIAGNOSED THE DIFFICULTY AS POSSIBLE BLEEDING ULCERS. THE DUTY PILOTS, ^CPT WISDOM^ AND ^WO1 THATCHER^ WERE BRIEFED AND DEPARTED CAMP EAGLE. THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE PICK UP SITE BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE GROUND UNIT FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, APPARENTLY CAUSED BY CONFUSION AS TO THE CORRECT RADIO FREQUENCIES. AFTER ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT, THE AIRCRATT WAS DIRECTED TO THE FIELD PICK UP SITE, THE FRONT YARD OF A CHURCH, WHERE TRIP FLARES WERE USED TO IDENTIFY THE LOCATION. THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED FROM THE NORTH AND REQUESTED INFORMATION AS TO THE TACTICAL SITUATION. THE AIRCREW WAS ADVISED THAT THE UNIT WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH HOSTILE FORCES. UPON ARRIVAL, THE AIRCRAFT INITIATED A LEFT HAND ORBIT OVER THE CHURCH AND COMPLETED 1 AND 3/4 ORBITS COMING TO A 200-300 FOOT HOVER WITH THE SEARCH LIGHT ON. AT THIS TIME, TRIP FLARES WERE STILL BEING USED AS ILLUMINATION WITHTHE FRONT YARD OF THE CHURCH BEING DESCRIBED AS "BRIGHT AS DAYLIGHT". AFTER HOVERING 10-15 SECONDS, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AS THOUGH HE HAD DECIDED TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER PASS. THE AIRCRAFT PASSED TO THE SOUTH OF THE CHURCH AND ENTERED A STEEP LEFT TURN. AT THIS TIME THE LANDING SEARCH LIGHTS WERE NOT ON. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CHURCH IN A DESCENDING STEEP LEFT BANK AND CONTINUED IN THIS ATTITUDE UNTIL GROUND CONTACT AGAINST A HILLSIDE BELOW THE GROUND LEVEL OF THE CHURCH. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A NOSE LOW APPROXIMATE 80 DEGREE LEFT BANK. THE CENTER OF THE MASS OF THE WRECKAGE WAS 40 FEET ALONG THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT FROM THE POINT WHERE THE LEFT SKID ENTERED THE GROUND.\\
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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