Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16429
The Army purchased this helicopter 1169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000417
Date: 04/25/1970
Incident number: 700425101ACD Accident case number: 700425101 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 15 MED 1 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Phouc Vinh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 3 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing 395145
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 WO1 ARNOLD RODNEY KEITH KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
LCO, , G
SFC BROOKS JAMES HARRISON JR, CMP, A
SP6 CONWAY JAMES THADDEUS, CMP, A
Accident Summary:
THE CREW OF UH-1H, SN: 68-16429 WAS PERFORMING A TEST FLIGHT. THE PURPOSE OF THE TEST FLIGHT WAS TO PERFORM AN N1 TOPPING CHECK. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PHUOC VINH AT APPROXIMATELY 1030 HOURS AND PROCEEDED TO THE UNITS TEST FLIGHT AREA SOUTH OF THE SONG BE BRIDGE, RVN. AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS, ACCORDING TO WITNESSES ON THE GROUND, AIRCRAFT 68-16429, WHICH WAS HEADING IN A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION, BEGAN VIOLENTLY SPINNING TO THE RIGHT AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. WITNESSES ALSO STATED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 700 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO RECOVER FROM THE SPIN AND THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN BEGAN TO SPIN, FINALLY CRASHING IN A RUBBER PLANTATION 8,000 METERS TO THE SOUTHWEST OF PHUOC VINH.\\ THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND RESTING ON ITS RIGHT SIDE HEADING APPROXIMATELY 120 DEGREES WITH THE TAIL BOOM STILL ATTACHED. ALTHOUGH REMAINING ATTACHED TO THE MAIN BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE TAIL BOOM WAS BENT APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES FROM ITS NORMAL POSITION AND LEANING AGAINST A RUBBER TREE. THE COMPLETE TAIL ROTOR SECTION WITH HALF OF THE 90 DEGREE GEARBOX ATTACHED WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 15 METERS NORTHWEST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE DETACHED TAIL ROTOR SECTION WAS FOUND UNDAMAGED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE 90 DEGREE GEARBOX WHICH WAS SPLIT IN HALF. THE REMAINING HALF OF THE 90 DEGREE GEARBOX REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE TAIL BOOM SECTION.\\ IMPACT WITH THE RUBBER TREES AND FOUND APPROXIMATELY 5 METERS SOUTH OF THE MAIN BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT. SMALL PORTIONS OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE WERE FOUND SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE CRASH SITE AREA.\\ ALL THREE OCCUPANTS SURVIVED THE INITIAL IMPACT OF THE CRASH BUT DIED DUE TO INJURIES SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT.\\
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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