Helicopter UH-1H 67-17148


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17148
The Army purchased this helicopter 0168
Total flight hours at this point: 00002841
Date: 11/15/1970
Incident number: 701115011ACD Accident case number: 701115011 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 116 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 1
costing 305145
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 WA SHOBEL
P CPT SALMOND RICHARD WILLIAM KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
, FCO, G


Accident Summary:

 ON 15 NOVEMBER 1970, CPT SALMOND AND WO1 SHOBEL WERE THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF ARMY AIRCRAFT UH-1H, SN 67-17148. THIS AIRCRAFT AND THE NAMED CREW ABOVE DEPARTED CHU LAI AS ONE OF EIGHT AIRCRAFT IN SUPPORT OF AN ELEMENT OF THE 5TH ARVN DIVISION, LOCATED WEST OF TAM KY, RVN. THE FLIGHT OF AIRCRAFT COMPLETED SEVERAL LIFTS INTO AN AREA NEAR FIRE SUPPORT BASE WEST AND RETURNED TO HAWK HILL TO REFUEL. AFTER REFUELING, THE LFIGHT WAS DIRECTED TO REPORT TO TAM KY ALTERNATE AIRFIELD TO AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. THE AIGHT AIRCRAFT APPROACHED TAM KY ALTERNATE AIRFIELD, ENTERING LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 04, IN A TRAIL FORMATION. THE FINAL APPROACH WAS MADE AT AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 70-75 KNOTS. AT APPROXIMATELY MIDIFIELD, THE LEAD AIRCRAFT BEGAN HIS DECELERATION FLARE FOR LANDING. AIRCRAFT 67-17148, WHICH WAS THE SEVENTH AIRCRAFT IN THE FORMATION, WAS OVERTAKING THE AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF IT AS THEY BEGAN THE INITIAL FLARE. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF UH-1H, 67-17148, SEEING THAT HE WAS OVERTAKING THE AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF HIM, SLID HIS AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID A COLLISION. AT THIS TIME, THE AIRCRAFT IN FRONT OF HIM INITIATED A FLARE AND THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF AIRCRAFT 67-17148 FLARED ALSO. THIS RESULTED IN A SEVERE NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE, WHILE THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED SLIDING TO THE RIGHT. MAINTAINING THIS NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND TAIL STARTED TO SWING TO THE RIGHT. IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING ANY OBSTACLES, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO COME TO A 25-50' HOVER, THE AIRCRAFT STILL VIBRATING. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN TO THE RIGHT, APPROXIMATELY 120 TO THE DIRECTION OF LANDING. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT SWUNG SUDDENLY TO THE LEFT AND THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER APPLIED LEFT PEDAL TO STOP THE TURN. THE APPLICATION OF LEFT PEDAL HAD NO RESULTING EFFECT AND WO1 SHOBEL THOUGHT THERE WAS A TAIL ROTOR MALFUNCTION. HE THEN ROLLED THE THROTTLE OFF IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE TURN AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO THE GROUND IN A LEFT TAIL-LOW ATTITUDE. AT IMPACT, THE LEFT SKID COLLAPSED, AND THE TAILBOOM WAS SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UPRIGHT, APPROXIMATELY 105 TO THE DIRECTION OF LANDING.\\ SECONDS AFTER IMPACT, A FIRE STARTED IN THE AFT SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE. THE CREWMEMBERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED. THE PILOT WAS STRUCK BY THE ROTOR BLADE AFTER EXITING THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS EVACUATED TO CHU LAI HOSPITAL, WHERE HE EXPIRED DURING EMERGENCY SURGERY.\\

This record was last updated on 09/20/1998


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