Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16617
The Army purchased this helicopter 0767
Total flight hours at this point: 00001346
Date: 10/20/1970
Incident number: 701020011ACD Accident case number: 701020011 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 54 MED DET
The station for this helicopter was Phu Bai in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 6 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing 590945
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 CW2 HANDLEY TERENCE ARNOLD KIA
P 1LT SCHLIE KENNETH MARTIN KIA
CE SP4 WEISS THOMAS RAY KIA
MD SP4 GAY HAROLD CORNELL KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
LC LOCAL, LCO, G
SP4 CAMPBELL ALEXANDER JR, AR, PX, KIA
CPL KILGORE LARRY WYATT, AR, PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
AT APPROXIMATELY 0615 HOURS, 20 OCTOBER 1970, AN AERO SCOUT TEAM FROM COMPANY B, 123D AVIATION BATTALION, CONSISTING OF ONE UH-1H SLICK, ONE AH-1G COBRA, AND ONE OH-6A, LOH, DEPARTED CHU LAI ARMY AIRFIELD FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING A FIRST LEGHT VISUAL RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AREA TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF CHU LAI KNOWN AS THE ROCKET POCKET. THE NATURE OF THIS OPERATION REQUIRES THE OH-6A TO FLY AT LOW LEVEL AT APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET AND APPROXIMATELY SIXTY KNOTS. COVER IS PROVIDED FOR THE OH-6A BY THE AH-1G COBRA FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET. THE AH-1G AIRCRAFT COMMANDER WAS THE TEAM LEAD AND AS SUCH, HIS JOB WAS TO COORDINATE ALL ARTILLERY FIRES, CLEARANCES IN DESIGNATED AREAS, AND GENERALLY MANAGES THE OPERATION WHILE DIRECTING THE OH-6A IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS AND INTO AREAS OF LIKELY OR SUSPECTED ENEMY ACTIVITY. THE UH-1H HELICOPTER CARRIES A SQUAD OF INFANTRYMEN WHO ARE INSERTED AT SUCH TIME AS THE TEAM LEAD DETERMINES THAT IT IS NECESSARY. THE UH-1H FLIES AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 TO 2000 FEET FOLLOWING THE AH-1G. ON THIS PARTICULAR MORNING THE AERO SCOUT TEAM ATTEMPTED TO COMMENCE THEIR RECONNAISSANCE IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE ROCKET POCKET. THEY WERE, HOWEVER, UNABLE TO PROCEED WITH THIS COURSE OF ACTION BECAUSE ARTILLERY WAS BEING FIRED INTO THAT AREA. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THEY COULD NOT ENTER THIS AREA, THE TEAM LEAD DIRECTED HIS TEAM TO PROCEED TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE ROCKET POCKET AND COMMENCED THEIR RECONNAISSANCE IN THAT AREA, WORKING GENERALLY EAST TO WEST. AT THIS TIME THE TEAM MEMBERS OBSERVED YELLOW SMOKE BEING POPPED CONTINUOUSLY TO THE SOUTHEAST. TEAM LEAD CONTACTED THE GROUND PERSONNEL TO SEE IF THEY REQUIRED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE GROUND PERSONNEL REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE, THAT A DUST OFF WAS IN PROGRESS.\\ AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 HOURS A UH-1H DUST OFF AIRCRAFT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE 54TH MED. DETACHMENT, CALL SIGN DUST OFF 88, DEPARTED FROM CHU LAI ARMY AIRFIELD ON A MISSION TO PICK UP TWO URGENT US CASUALTIES. AT 0707 HOURS THE LAST CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE RADIO/TELEPHONE OPERATOR AT THE 54TH MED. DET. AS THE DUST OFF AIRCRAFT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE LANDING ZONE AT COORDINATES BS 525954. THE AERO SCOUT TEAM OBSERVED THE DUST OFF AIRCRAFT TOUCHDOWN IN THE LANDING ZONE HEADING GENERALLY SOUTHEAST. THE AERO SCOUT TEAM AT THIS TIME TURNED BACK TO THE NORTH CONTINUING THEIR RECONNAISSANCE AND WORKING THEIR WAY BACK TOWARDS CHU LAI. SHORTLYTHEREAFTER THE TEAM LEADER OBSERVED THE DUST OFF AIRCRAFT HEADING NORTH-NORTHEAST APPROXIMATELY 300 TO 400 METERS SOUTH OF THE OH-6A AT LOW LEVEL AND MOVING FAST. AT THIS POINT THE TEAM LEADER STATED THAT HE ADVISED THE OH-6A OF THE APPROACHING DUST OFF AIRCRAFT AND STATES THE OH-6A PILOT ROGERED THE MESSAGE. THE TEAM LEADER STATED THAT ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THIS TRANSMISSION THE UH-1H AND OH-6A COLLIDED, WITH THE UH-1H ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND THE OH-6A ON A NORTHWESTERLY HEADING. THE TWO AIRCRAFT COLLIDED IN A VALLEY INTO WHICH THE UH-1H HAD ENTERED COMING AROUND A HILL TO HIS RIGHT AND THE OH-6A HAD ENTERED FLYING WEST UP THE VALLEY WITH THE HILL ON HIS LEFT.\\
This record was last updated on 04/18/2005
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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