Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15441
The Army purchased this helicopter 0369
Total flight hours at this point: 00002219
Date: 03/15/1971
Incident number: 710315041ACD Accident case number: 710315041 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 117 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Long Binh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 455945
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 WO1 KIRKENDOLL JERRY WAYNE KIA
P CW2 GEORGE RAYMOND JAMES KIA
CE SP4 MORGAN GREGORY SCOTT KIA
G SP4 PEOPLES JERRY WAYNE KIA
Accident Summary:
^WO1 KIRKENDALL^, AIRCRAFT COMMANDER IN CHARGE OF ^441^ WAS ENROUTE TO NHA BE, LEAVING PLANTATION AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 ON 15 MARCH 1971, HE PICKED UP FOUR PASSENGERS AND TOOK THEM TO HOTEL-3, A HELICOPTER FIELD NEAR TAN SON NHUT AIRBASE. THE TOWER HAD CLEARED ^441^ TO DEPART AFTER RECEIVING A HOVER CHECK REPORT FROM THE CREW. AIRCRAFT ^441^ TOOK OFF ON A HEADING 360 DEGREES WITH A CLEARANCE TO MAKE A 270 DEGREE CLIMBING LEFT TURN. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE MAKING A NORMAL TAKE OFF AND CLIMB OUT. IT STARTED A LEFT TURN WITH A NORMALLY INDICATED AIR SPEED APPROACHING 40 KNOTS AND AN ALTITUDE OF FROM 100 TO 150 FEET. IT WAS IN A LEFT BANKING TURN THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO ENCOUNTER SOME TURBULENT REACTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TO DESCEND IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. THE BLADES WERE OBSERVED TO BE SLOWING AND IT WAS ALSO OBSERVED THAT PITCH WAS STILL BEING APPLIED TO THE BLADES. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND AND IT APPEARS AS IF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WITH A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT EXPLODED ON IMPACT, WITH THE FRONT CROSS TUBE OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTING ON THE FORWARD SLOPE OF THE LARGE DITCH AND THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT SETTLING DOWN INTO THE DITCH. THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION AND MOST OF THE BASIC BODY OF THE AIRCRAFT, TO INCLUDE THE TAIL BOOM, SETTLED INTO THE DITCH AND WERE BURNED. IT MUST BE NOTED THAT THE ROTOR HUB WAS BROKEN OFF THE MAST BUT THE BLADES DID NOT INDICATE STRIKING THE GROUND OR HAVE MUCH ROTOR RPM.\\
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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