Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17362
The Army purchased this helicopter 0368
Total flight hours at this point: 00002139
Date: 05/20/1970
Incident number: 700520201ACD Accident case number: 700520201 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 192 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Phan Thiet in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 2
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 WC STALNAKER
P W1 DL HARLESS
CE E5 W CRISTY
G PFC KELSO THOMAS JOSH JR KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
E2 E WHITE, PAX, D
E2 DR SINGLETON, PAX, D
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM NHA TRANG, RVN TO PHAN THIET, RVN WITH A CARGO OF 5 U.S. PASSENGERS AND 7 PRC-25 RADIOS. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER DECIDED TO MAKE A REFUELING STOP AT THE 92ND AVN CO POL AT FLANDERS FIELD NEAR DONG BA THIN, RVN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR A 140 DEGREE APPROACH TO THE POL AREA. WHILE ON FINAL AT 100-150 FEET AND 1/4 MILE OUT, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER HEARD A STRANGE SAWING NOISE FROM THE VECINITY OF THE TAIL ROTOR AND FELT VIBRATION IN THE ANTI-TORQUE PEDALS. ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE AIRCRAFT STARTED YAWING TO THE RIGHT. REALIZING THAT HE HAD AN ANTI-TORQUE FAILURE, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, WHO WAS ON THE CONTROLS, INITIATED AUTOROTATION. AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IT HIT RIGHT SKID LOW AND ROLLED OVER. THE DOOR GUNNER WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE ROLLING HELICOPTER AND WAS CRUSHED TO DEATH BY THE AIRFRAME. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.\\
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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