Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15568
The Army purchased this helicopter 0469
Total flight hours at this point: 00002032
Date: 04/04/1971
Incident number: 710404021ACD Accident case number: 710404021 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 135 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Dong Tam in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 13 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 10
costing 395145
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 1LT LAPLANTE NOEL CHARLES KIA
P WO1 KNIGHT TERRY VASCAL KIA
CE SP4 REYNOLDS HARVEY MICHAEL KIA
G SGT STEPPEE LARRY ELMER KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
, CET, G
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
, PAX, A
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT ^68-15568^ WAS ENGAGED IN A COMBAT OPERATION OF THE ^135TH ASSAULT HELICOPTER COMPANY^ AND FLYING IN THE TRAIL SHIP POSITION IN A FLIGHT OF FOUR UH-1H AIRCRAFT. THE FLIGHT HAD COMPLETED TWO LIFTS AND HAD PICKED UP THEIR TROOPS FOR THE THIRD LIFT. THE FLIGHT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF JOINING IN A DIAMOND FORMATION WHEN THE TRAIL SHIP WAS HEARD TO SAY "LEAD, YOU'RE SCATTERED." THIS WAS THE LAST TRANSMISSION HEARD FROM THE TRAIL AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FIRST NOTICED AS MISSING WHEN THE COMMAND AND CONTROL AIRCRAFT QUESTIONED THE LEAD AIRCRAFT CONCERNING THE NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT IN HIS FLIGHT. AT THIS POINT CHALK 3 OF THE FLIGHT BROKE OFF TO LOOK FOR THE TRAIL AIRCRAFT AND THE REMAINING TWO AIRCRAFT IN THE FLIGHT STAYED TOGETHER TO ASSIST IN THE SEARCH. THE COMMAND AND CONTROL AIRCRAFT ALSO ASSISTED AND WAS THE FIRST SHIP TO DISCOVER THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO MEMBER OF THE FLIGHT WITNESSED THE AIRCRAFT DEPART THE FLIGHT OR CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WITH THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING FIRST. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF SKIDDING. THE TAIL BOOM OF THE AIRCRAFT SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE BEFORE STRIKING THE GROUND AND WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 100 METERS FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE. THE TAIL ROTOR WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE TAIL BOOM BY THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE CHAIN. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND HUB ASSEMBLY WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 50 METERS TO THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE MAIN FUSELAGE AND ALSO SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT. THE ENGINE WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 100 METERS TO THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD ALSO SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT.\\
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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