Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-58A tail number 68-16884
The Army purchased this helicopter 0370
Total flight hours at this point: 00000642
Date: 03/17/1971
Incident number: 710317101ACD Accident case number: 710317101 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: HHC 1 BDE 5 INF
The station for this helicopter was Quang Tri in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XD777433 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QXD777433)
Number killed in accident = 3 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing 255261
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 SCHLUTTER WILLIAM DAVID KIA
OB MAJ SCHARNBERG RONALD OLIVER KIA
OB LTC SUTTON BRYAN JAMES KIA
Accident Summary:
THE PILOT DEPARTED QUANG TRI AT APPROXIMATELY 0700 HOURS ON 17 MARCH 1971 AND FLEW TO HAM NGHI. HE FLEW VARIOUS MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF UNITS OF THE ^1ST BDE 5TH INF DIV (M)^ THAT MORNING WITH SEVERAL STOPS FOR FUEL AND FOR LUNCH. AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS HE BEGAN FLYING AS A COMMAND AND CONTROL AIRCRAFT AND PICKED UP THE COMMANDING OFFICER AND OPERATIONS OFFICER OF A BATTALION. HE WAS LAST SEEN AT APPROXIMATELY 1345 HOURS AT A FIELD LOCATION FOUR MILES TO THE NORTHWEST OF HAM NGHI. AT THIS TIME HE APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD SPIRITS WITH NO SIGN OF FATIGUE. HE DEPARTED THAT LOCATION WITH TWO PERSONS ON BOARD AND FLEW OFF TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE NEXT TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS SSEN WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 1415 HOURS WHEN A SURVEY TEAM FROM THE ^108TH ARTY GP^, WORKING NORTHWEST OF HAM NGHI VIC XD 778438 REPORTED AN AIRCRAFT BURNING ON THE MOUNTAIN NEAR THEM. ^D TROOP 3/5 CAV^ WAS NOTIFIED AND RESPONDED BY REROUTING A VR TEAM TO THE AREA FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED, FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE BODIES OF ALL OCCUPANTS WERE RECOVERED.\\
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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