Helicopter UH-1D 66-16394


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16394
The Army purchased this helicopter 0567
Total flight hours at this point: 00001849
Date: 03/07/1971
Incident number: 710307011ACD Accident case number: 710307011 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 326 MED 101 ABN
The station for this helicopter was Camp Eagle in Laos
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 4 . . Passengers = 2
costing 289345
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 O2 EA DEFREITAS
P W2 JL JONES
CE E4 RL PICKINS
MD SGT WIELER JAMES LAWRENCE KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
E4 R WELLS, M, D


Accident Summary:

 THE CREW OF ^#394^ REPORTED TO THE FLIGHT LINE AT CAMP EAGLE AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 HOURS, PERFORMED A PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION, START AND RUN-UP WITHOUT INCIDENT THEN REPORTED NOTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE WHILE ENROUTE OTHER THAN INOPERATIVE UHF AND VHF RADIOS. THE FLIGHT WAS MADE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1500 FEET. THE PILOT MAINTAINED ALTITUDE TO RELAY A RADIO MESSAGE UNTIL ABREAST OF CAMP EVANS, CONTACTED EVANS TOWER FOR LANDING INSTRUCTIONS AND WERE CLEARED TO LAND TO THE NORTH ON ^"C" MED^ PAD. ^CW2 JONES^ INITIATED A DESCENDING RIGHT TURN TO BASE LEG. AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET INDICATED ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED OF 60 KNOTS HE WITNESSED A LOUD "SCREECHING" NOISE FROM THE ENGINE SECTION OF THE HELICOPTER, THE AIRCRAFT YAWED 10 - 15 TO THE RIGHT THEN STREAMLINED. HE FELT THE CONTROL RESPONSES REMAINED NORMAL BUT IMMEDIATELY RELINQUISHED CONTROLS TO ^1LT DEFREITAS^ WHO INITIATED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TOWARD A CONEX LANDMARK SOUTH OF THE CAMP EVANS RUNWAY. EVANS TOWER WAS ADVISED OF THEIR INTENTIONS. AS THE AIRSPEED DISSIPATED TO APPROXIMATELY 40-45 KNOTS ON THE APPROACH THE HELICOPTER BEGAN AN ACCELERATING RIGHT TURN THEN STARTED A FLAT SPIN TO THE RIGHT. ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN AIRSPEED WERE FUTILE AND THEY REPORTED TO EVANS TOWER THEY WERE GOING TO CRASH. THE TOWER OPERATOR OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT WHILE IN A RIGHT SPIN. CREW STATEMENTS INDICATE THE HELICOPTER INITIALLY IMPACTED ON ITS LEFT FRONT SIDE AND ROLLED AT LEAST TWO TIMES BEFORE COMING TO REST INVERTED. ALL SURVIVING CREWMEMBERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THEN BEGAN SEARCHING FOR ^SP4 WEILER^. HE WAS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE WRECKAGE STILL SECURED TO THE AIRFRAME BY HIS RESTRAINING (MONKEY) HARNESS. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO READ HIS PULSE BUT IT WAS EVIDENT HE HAD DIED INSTANTLY. AN ALERT TOWER OPERATOR DIRECTED AIRCRAFT TO THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY AND A HASTY RIG WAS ATTACHED TO ENABLE A CH-47 TO LEFT THE HELICOPTER TO RECOVER ^SP4 WEILER'S BODY^. THE WRECKAGE WAS REMOVED TO THE AIRFIELD RAMP AREA AT CAMP EVANS AND ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE EVACUATED TO ^COMPANY C, 326TH MEDICAL BATTALION^ AT CAMP EVAN.\\

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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