Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-19516
The Army purchased this helicopter 1168
Total flight hours at this point: 00001246
Date: 02/23/1971
Incident number: 710223121ACD Accident case number: 710223121 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 173 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Dong Ha in Laos
Number killed in accident = 10 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 7
costing 667545
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 1LT FARRIS DENNIS CLAUDE KIA
P 1LT USHER TERRY MAXWELL KIA
CE SP4 OGATA TERRANCE AKI KIA
G SP4 BRUIN JOHN WILLIAM KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK, LCO, G
X1 UNK, PAX, A
X2 UNK, PAX, A
X2 UNK, PAX, A
X2 UNK, PAX, A
X2 UNK, PAX, A
X2 UNK, PAX, A
Accident Summary:
ON 23 FEBRUARY 1971, THE ^223D COMBAT AVIATION BATTALION^ WAS ENGAGED IN A COMBAT OPERATION IN THE KINGDOM OF LAOS. THE OPERATION BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS AND THE UH-1H TROOP CARRYING HELICOPTERS WERE TO MAKE 2 SORTIES EACH INTO THE LANDING ZONE WHILE BEING UNDER CONTINUAL COVER OF UH-1C HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS. THE UH-1H HELICOPTERS HAD EACH MADE A LONG LIFT DOWNWIND WITH A FINAL APPROACH ALONG THE LONG AXIS OF THE RIDGELINE, LANDING TOWARD THE EAST. THE UH-1C GUNSHIPS WERE IN A COVERING ORBIT INSIDE THE TRAFFIC PATTERN OF THE UH-1H HELICOPTERS. A TOTAL OF 38 SORTIES HAD BEEN FLOWN INTO THE LANDING ZONE, WITH THE UH-1H HELICOPTERS LANDING SINGLE SHIP. THE LAST UH-1H IN THE FLIGHT BEGAN HIS TURN TO BASE LEG AND ON TO FINAL APPROACH AT A POSITION APPROXIMATELY THE CENTER OF THE RIDGELINE. AT THE SAME TIME THE UH-1C GUNSHIP WAS BEGINNING ITS TURN TO BREAK AWAY FROM ITS PASS TOWARD THE LANDING ZONE. AS THE UH-1C WAS IN ITS TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 50 DEGREES ANGLE OF BANK, THE UH-1H HELICOPTER FLEW INTO THE ROTOR SYSTEM OF THE UH-1C FROM THE LEFT SIDE. THE UH-1C LOST ITS ROTOR SYSTEM, CONTINUED A LEFT TURN, WENT INVERTED, AND CRASHED NOSE LOW EXPLODING ON IMPACT. THE UH-1H CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD, LOST ITS ROTOR SYSTEM, CRASHED IN A NOSE LOW ALTITUDE, AND EXPLODED ON IMPACT. THE CREW MEMBERS AND PASSENGERS (ON THE UH-1H) OF BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE KILLED ON IMPACT.\\
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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