Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16982
The Army purchased this helicopter 1067
Total flight hours at this point: 00001331
Date: 04/01/1971
Incident number: 710401051ACD Accident case number: 710401051 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 116 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 7
costing 334345
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 W2 JA BOWMAN
P O2 JA PEPE
CE E4 RL TABITA
G SP4 HIGHSMITH JAMES ARTHUR KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
O5 EE PASSMORE, PAX, G
E4 VC MOLINA, PAX, D
E4 JW HASTINGS, PAX, D
E6 EW RICE, PAX, G
O2 P WALKER, PAX, G
PFC HAVEL DONALD JAMES, AR, PX, KIA
O3 G SMITH, PAX, G
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT ^66-16982^ LANDED AT LZ DONNA AND PICKED UP PASSENGERS. ^CW2 BOWMAN^ MADE A HOVER CHECK AND DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD AN OVERLOADED CONDITION. TWO PASSENGERS WERE OFF-LOADED AND ANOTHER HOVER CHECK WAS INITIATED. AT THIS TIME THE ENTIRE CREW SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER INSTRUCTED THE DOOR GUNNER AND CREW CHIEF TO MAKE A BRIEF CHECK OF THE AIRCRAFT TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. THE DOOR GUNNER LOOKED INSIDE THE INSPECTION PANEL THAT LEADS TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHILE THE CREW CHIEF MADE A VISUAL CHECK OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH CREW MEMBERS RE-ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT AND INFORMED THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED SATISFACTORY. IT WAS NOTICED AT THIS TIME THAT THERE WAS A CIGARETTE SMOLDERING IN THE COCKPIT ASHTRAY AND THERE WAS BURNING GARBAGE IN THE VICINITY OF THE HELIPAD. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER FELT THAT THERE WAS NO FURTHER NEED FOR CONCERN AND THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER DECIDED TO DEPART TO LZ KY TRA. AT APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ON APPROACH TO KY TRA, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER NOTICED THE FIRE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND SHOUTED ON THE INTERCOM THAT THEY HAD A FIRE. AT THIS TIME THE CREW CHIEF AND DOOR GUNNER UNBUCKLED THEIR SEAT BELTS AND LOOKED OUT OF THE CARGO DOORS TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE DOOR GUNNER REPORTED TO THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER THAT THEY DID IN FACT HAVE A FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER EXECUTED A POWER ON APPROACH TO A RICE PADDY AT THE FOOT OF THE HILL ON WHICH KY TRA IS LOCATED. AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 KNOTS AIRSPEED THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY POWER TO COMPLETE HIS LANDING. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND, THE AIRCRAFT YAWED NOSE LEFT APPROXIMATELY 60 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD WITH THE RIGHT SKID LOW. THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT TIME TRAVELED AN ADDITIONAL 4 FEET AND LANDED RIGHT SKID LOW NOW AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES TO THE FLIGHT PATH. THE RIGHT SKID BROKE AT THIS TIME FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT SKID ALSO BREAKING. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE CONTINUING TO BURN. AFTER THE PASSENGERS AND CREW HAD EXITED IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT TWO PERSONNEL WERE STILL IN THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH WERE PINNED UNDER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT'S CARGO DOOR. (SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE BY THE PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS TO FREE BOTH PERSONNEL, BUT SUCCEEDED IN ONLY FREEING ONE OF THE TRAPPED PERSONNE.). DURING THE ATTEMPTS TO FREE THE PERSON THE DOOR GUNNER WAS NOTICED LYING FACE DOWN AND APPEARED TO HAVE A BROKEN NECK. THE SPREADING FIRE AND AMMUNITION EXPLODING PRECLUDED FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO FREE THE DOOR GUNNER. DURING THE TIME THE PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE EFFECTING RESCUE OF THE INDIVIDUAL TRAPPED IN THE WRECKAGE ADDITIONAL FROM KY TRA ARRIVED AT THE SCENE. THEY NOTICED AN INDIVIDUAL LATER FOUND TO BE ONE OF THE PASSENGERS LAYING DEAD IN FRONT OF TTHE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 4 FEET AWAY FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE PERSONNEL FROM KY TRA MOVED THE BODY FURTHER AWAY FROM THE WRECKAGE TO PREVENT FURTHER MUTILATION. EVACUATION WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN MINUTES AND PERSONNEL WERE TAKEN TO THE ^91ST EVACUATION HOSPITAL^ IN CHU LAI FOR EXAMINATION.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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