Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16848
The Army purchased this helicopter 0967
Total flight hours at this point: 00001508
Date: 02/08/1970
Incident number: 700208111ACD Accident case number: 700208111 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/158 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Camp Evans in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD937169 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYD937169)
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 0
costing 289345
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 D HEATH
P W1 GW BAXTER
CE E4 RW HAMILTON
C SP4 KINDER BRADLEY ALLEN KIA
Accident Summary:
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A RESUPPLY MISSION IN SUPPORT OF CO. A, 326TH ENG BN. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED HAD JUST UNLOADED ITS CARGO OF WOODEN PLANKS (15 EA. 3"X12C"14') ON THE LOG PAD. THE PAD WAS RELATIVELY UNRESTRICTED IN SIZE AND SLOPED FROM THE EAST DOWN TO THE WEST AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 3 DEGREES. THE SURFACE OF THE PAD WAS SANDY, ALTHOUGH FREQUENT RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY REDUCED THE POSSIBILITY OF BLOWING SAND. UPON DISCHARGING HIS CARGO, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT UP TO A HOVER AND AFTER BEING CLEARED TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT BY THE GUNNER AND CREW CHIEF BEGAN A SLOW LEFT TURN IN ORDER TO BE IN THE MOST FAVORABLE TAKE-OFF POSITION. AS THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES OF A PROPOSED 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN IT BEGAN TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER COUNTERACTED THIS FORCE BY APPLYING GRADUAL AND FINALLY LEFT CYCLIC WITH NO APPARENT EFFECT. WHEN HE SAW THAT THIS COUNTER-MEASURE FAILED TO STOP THE ROLL OF THE AIRCRAFT HE BEGAN TO LOWER THE COLLECTIVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. AT THIS MOMENT THE AIRCRAFT SHUDDERED AS THE ADVANCING RIGHT BLADE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ON TO THE TOP RIGHT SIDE AND BEGAN TO BURN. THE TWO PILOTS AND THE CREW CHIEF, WHO HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE LEFT SIDE GUNNERS WELL, EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT. THE GUNNER WAS PINNED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WRECKAGE. CO. A, 326TH ENG BN TO FREE THE TRAPPED GUNNER HOWEVER THE FIRE AND HEAT CREATED BY THE BURNING AIRCRAFT MADE RESCUE IMPOSSIBLE. THE GUNNER DIED IN THE CRASH AND ENSUING FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS A TOTAL LOSS.\\
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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