Helicopter OH-6A 66-07889


Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 66-07889
The Army purchased this helicopter 0168
Total flight hours at this point: 00000484
Date: 05/23/1970
Incident number: 700523121ACD Accident case number: 700523121 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/2/17 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Phu Bai in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: ZD117042 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QZD117042)
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 1
costing 154221
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 O3 RC BECK RES
OB SGT JETT MICHAEL STEVEN KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
, LCO, G


Accident Summary:

 THE PILOT WAS MAKING A PERIMETER CHECK OF FSB TOMAHAWK, MOVING OUT-WARD AND DOWNHILL IN EVER INCREASING CIRCLES. AS CPT BECK MADE A SHARP LEFT HAND TURN (60) FOLLOWING THE CONTOUR OF THE TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED FALLING THROUGH FROM AN ALTITUDE OF FIFTY (50) FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE TAIL SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE BRUSH, STRIKING THEM NUMEROUS TIMES. TRAVELLING ON A HEADING OF 050 FOR ANOTHER 100 FEET, THE LOWER VERTICAL STABILIZER STRUCK A LARGE ROCK, TEARING IT PARTIALLY LOOSE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK SOME ROCKS CONCEALED BY UNDERBRUSH AND ONE BLADE DISINTERGRATED. DURING THIS TIME, THE TAIL BOOM WAS ALSO CRACKED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THROWN BACK INTO THE AIR, TRAVELLING ANOTHER 100 FEET, COMING DOWN IN A 90 BANK, TRAVELLING AN ADDITIONAL 50 FEET, STRIKING THE GROUND AND IMPALING THE LEFT SKID IN THE GROUND AND BREAKING IT OFF. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED 10 MORE FEET, DIGGING THE MINI-GUN IN THE GROUND AND ALSO BREAKING IT OFF. AT THIS TIME, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED CART-WHEELING. THE FORCE OF THE ROTOR BLADES HITTINGTHE GROUND UPRIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER CART-WHEELING ONE TIME, THE PILOT'S PEDALS WERE IMBEDDED IN THE STUMP OF A 2" DIAMETER TREE. THE PEDALS AND PART OF THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE TORN OFF, AND THE FUEL CELLS WERE ALSO RUPTURED AT THIS POINT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN FLIPPED BACK INTO THE AIR, DRENCHING THE PILOT AND OBSERVER WITH JP-4. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DID AN 180 TWIST. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE 45 POINT OF THE TWIST, THE TAILBOOM SEPARATED AT THE REAR JACKING POINT, FLINGING THE TAIL BOOM ASSEMBLY, TAIL ROTOR FIRST, 30 FEET AT 200 FROM THE MAIN BODY OF THE WRECKAGE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED THROUGH IT'S TWIST, IMPACTING UPRIGHT,SLIGHTLY LEFT SKID LOW, FACING 170 UP SLOPE. AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST, THE TRANSMISSION AND PYLON ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT, BEING THROWN 30 FEET IN A DIRECTION OF 350 FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUSPECTED TO BE ON FIRE AFTER THE LEFT SKID AND MINI-GUN HIT THE GROUND. THE MAIN BODY OF THE WRECKAGE WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE. DURING THE FIRE, THE GRENADES AND MINI-GUN AMMUNITION THAT WAS CARRIED ON BOARD, EXPLODED FROM THE HEAT. THE PILOT HAD TO PRY HIS SEAT BELT OPEN USING HIS PISTOL AND THEN HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. HE MANAGED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT ON HIMSELF, BECAME CONFUSED, HEADED UPSLOPE, AND THEN TURNED AROUND AND MADE HIS WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AND THE ROAD. THE OBSERVER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSIOUS, REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS BURNING, THERE WAS REPORTED TO BE TWO SECONDARY EXPLOSIONS.\\

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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