Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 69-15565
The Army purchased this helicopter 0770
Total flight hours at this point: 00000069
Date: 11/18/1970
Incident number: 701118111ACD Accident case number: 701118111 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/3/17 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Quang Tri in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 365945
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 KNOPIK THOMAS ALLISON KIA
IP CW2 MILLER BENTON LEWIS KIA
Accident Summary:
ON 18 NOVEMBER 1970, WO1 MILLER WAS PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF INSTRUCTOR PILOT IN ARMY AIRCRAFT UH-1H, 69-15565, WITH WO1 KNOPIK AS PILOT. SINCE THIS WAS A TRAINING FLIGHT, THERE WERE ONLY THESE TWO AVIATORS ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH TO QUANG TRI ARMY AIRFIELD WHEN IT WENT INTO WHAT LOOKED LIKE A DECELERATION. WITNESSES DESCRIBED A POPPING NOISE, AFTER WHICH THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED AND ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND STARTED INTO A VERTICLE DESCENT. WITNESSES SAW THE TAIL BOOM OF THE AIRCRAFT BREAK OFF DURING THE DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO THE GROUND AT A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE. THE TAIL BOOM IMPACTED THE GROUND 27 FEET FROM THE AIRCRAFT, AT A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 210 FROM THE IMPACT POINT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT BURST INTO FLAMES MOMENTS AFTER IMPACTING THE GROUND AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FILLED AS A RESULT OF THE HARD IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE GROUND.\\
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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