Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16664
The Army purchased this helicopter 0767
Total flight hours at this point: 00001105
Date: 02/10/1970
Incident number: 700210211ACD Accident case number: 700210211 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 335 TC
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT004727 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49QBT004727)
Number killed in accident = 12 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 8
costing 545945
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 CW2 FROST BOBBY GENE KIA
P MAJ BAKER RONALD BOYSEN KIA
CE SP5 MILES RAYMOND GENE KIA
G SP5 RICHARD DUANE LAWRENCE KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
SGT BOWDEN RICKY LYNN, AR, PX, KIA
LCR MATTHEWS GEORGE RUSSELL, NA, PX, KIA
CPT FRANCIS JOHN VINCENT, MC, PX, KIA
SK3 SCHUETTE DAVID FRANCIS, NA, PX, KIA
SN GREEN TIMOTHY JOSEPH, NA, PX, KIA
SN STEPP JOEL RICHARD, NA, PX, KIA
LTJ BROWNE ROBERT GODWIN, NA, PX, KIA
SP4 MAYNARD JOHN, AR, PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
CW2 BOBBY C. FROST, AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, AND MAJ RONALD R. BAKER, PILOT, DEPARTED THE KY HA HELIPAD, CHU LAI, VIETNAM, ON OR ABOUT 0815 HOURS, 10 FEBRUARY 1970, IN UH-1H SN 66-16664, ON A COURIER RUN TO DANANG, VIETNAM. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OR PILOT FLEW THE HELICOPTER TO A POINT 1 MILE SOUTH OF DANANG MAIN AIRFIELD, JUST EAST OF HIGHWAY 1, COORDINATES AT 905732. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOW LEVEL THROUGH THIS AREA DUE TO HIGH DENSITY OF AIRCRAFT, APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE 100-300 FEET, AIRSPEED APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TAIL ROTOR MALFUNCTION. THE AIRSPEED WAS DISSIPATED, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO TUCK UNDER AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A SPIN TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN ASSUMED AN EXTREME NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE MAIN ROTOR HUB AND BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM SECTION. THE FUSELAGE THEN ROLLED LEFT AND TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. THE FUSELAGE CONTACTED THE GROUND IN THE INVERTED POSITION. THE MAIN ROTOR HUB AND BLADES, AND THE TAIL BOOM SECTION LANDED IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION. FIRE BROKE OUT IMMEDIATE ON IMPACT DUE TO RUPTURED FUEL LINES OR CELLS. THERE WERE WITNESSES TO ALL, OR AT LEAST PARTS OF THE CRASH. VIETNANESE CIVILIANS ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH PAILS OF WATER BUT TO NO AVAIL. SEVERAL MILITARY PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT THE CRASH SITE WITHIN MINUTES. THEY IMMEDIATELY TOOK CONTROL OF SECURITY AND EXTINUISHED THE FIRE WITH HAND HELD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. THEY ALSO ASSISTED IN REMOVING PERSONNEL FROM THE AIRCRAFT.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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