Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 64-13116
The Army purchased this helicopter 0265
Total flight hours at this point: 00002346
Date: 05/31/1971
Incident number: 710531061ACD Accident case number: 710531061 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 243 ASHC
This was an Operational Loss caused by an accident by Accident with the mission function of Logistics Cargo
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Dong Ba Thin in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: CQ247339 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PCQ247339)
Casualties = YES . . Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 4 . . Passengers = 1
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
costing 1035717
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center AVDAC database. Defense Intelligence Agency
Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report.
)
Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was recovered
Crew Members:
P W1 RA SCHEIB
IP W2 RO MOREE
CE E5 OF HOOD
G E4 N MARTIN
FE SP5 KEARNS STEVEN JOHN KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
X2 PAK SW, , PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
ON 31 MAY 1971, AT 0818 HOURS, ARMY AIRCRAFT ^CH-47A^, SERIAL NUMBER ^64-13116^ DEPARTED DBT ENROUTE TO PHU HIEP, RVN ON A ROUTINE RE-SUPPLY MISSION IN SUPPORT OF THE ^28TH REGIMENT, 9TH ROKA INFANTRY DIVISION^. UPON STOPPING AT THE ^9TH DIVISION^ PAD IN NINH HOA, A SQUEAL WAS NOTED IN THE SAS SYSTEM, BUT AFTER RECYCLING THE SYSTEM THE SQUEAL DISAPPEARED, AND THE AIRCRAFT ON-LOADED 15 PASSENGERS. AIRCRAFT #116 CONTINUED ITS FLIGHT TO TUY HOA AAF, DROPPED OFF TWO PASSENGERS AND REFUELED AT THE CH-47 POL POINT. RETURNING TO THE ^28TH RCP^, THE AIRCRAFT DISCHARGED 15 PASSENGERS, PICKED UP THE KOREAN LIASON NCO, AND BEGAN ITS MISSION. AFTER HAULING FIVE SLINGLOADS OF SUPPLIES, AIRCRAFT ^#116^ RETURNED TO THE TUY HOA POL POINT FOR REFUELING, AND THEN CARRIED AN ADDITIONAL FIVE SLINGLOADS. RETURNING TO TUY HOA AT APPROXIMATELY 1230 HOURS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS AGAIN REFUELED FROM THE SAME POL POINT, AND THE CREW PREPARED TO RETURN TO PHU HIEP TO CARRY THE LAST TWO LOADS OF THE DAY. WITH ^WO1 SCHIEB^ AT THE CONTROLS, A HOVER CHECK WAS MADE WHICH INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 440 LBS OF TORQUE, AND ^WO1 SCHIEG^ THEN DEPARTED TO THE SOUTH ENROUTE TO PHU HIEP. WO1 ^SCHEIB^ MADE AN APPROACH TO A HOVER IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LANDING STRIP AT THE RCP (160) AND HOVERED LEFT TO THE RESUPPLY PAD TO PICK UP THE LOAD. THE LOAD CONSISTED OF SEVERAL BOXES OF SUPPLIES (UNMARKED) A LOADED FUEL BLADDER, AND A LARGE WATER CONTAINER IN THREE SEPARATE SLING, WEIGHING A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 6000 LBS. AFTER LIFTING THE THREE SLINGS (APPROXIMATELY 30' LONG) 40-50 FEET CLEAR OF THE GROUND, ^WO1 SCHEIB^ MADE A RIGHT PEDAL TURN TO ALIGN THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE TAKEOFF HEADING AND MAKE A HOVER CHECK. THE HOVER CHECK INDICATED THAT #1 ENGINE HAD 90.5% N1 AT 640 LBS OF TORQUE. ^WO1 SCHEIB^ THEN BEGAN THE TAKEOFF BY MAKING A SLIGHT CYCLIC/PEDAL TURN TO THE RIGHT AND THEN TO THE LEFT TO ALIGN THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE CLEARED PATH (240) WHICH IS NORMALLY USED FOR TAKEOFF TO AVOID BUILDINGS IN CASE OF A DROPPED LOAD. AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED TRANSLATIONAL LIFT AT APPROXIMATELY 20-30 KNOTS AND 100', THE #2 ENGINE FAILED, CAUSING THE ROTOR RPM TO DROP AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE. ^CW2 MOREE^ TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, NOTED THAT THE #2 ENGINE N1 DECREASED THROUGH 55%, AND INSTRUCTED THE FLIGHT ENGINEER TO RELEASE THE LOAD ^WO1 SCHEIB^ ALSO ACTIVATED HIS CYCLIC RELEASE BUTTON AT THIS TIME. THE LOAD DROPPED APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET TO THE GROUND, CAUSING THE FUEL AND WATER CONTAINER TO BURST. AT LOAD RELEASE (APPROXIMATELY 60' ALTITUDE), ^CW2 MOREE^ NOTED THE #1 ENGINE REACH 780 LBS OF TORQUE AND THEN DECREASE RAPIDLY. THE AIRCRAFT LURCHED SLIGHTLY FORWARD AND ASSUMED A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. ^CW2 MOREE^ WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE THRUST CONTROL AND STATES THAT THE CYCLIC TRAVELED REARWARD IN THREE SHORT, RAPID MOVEMENTS TO THE FULL AFT POSITION AGAINST HIS CONTROL PRESSURES. WITH ROTOR RPM CONTINUING TO DETERIORATE, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A 9' HIGH SAND BERM WHICH WAS COVERED WITH CONCERTINA WIRE. THE LEFT AFT GEAR DUG AN 18" HOLE IN THE BERM, CAUSING THE GEAR STRUT UPPER ATTACHING POINT TO FAIL. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE AFT ROTOR SYSTEM CONTACTED TWO FENCE POSTS ON THE BERM, CAUSING TWO 9' 6" SECTIONS FROM SEPARATE AFT BLADES TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AFT SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN BECAME AIRBORNE AND PIVOTED COUNTER-CLOCKWISE AROUND THE FORWARD ROTOR SYSTEM, WHICH WAS ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED VERTICALLY ON ITS RIGHT SIDE ON THE INNER PERIMETER FENCE OF THE ^28TH RCP^, DETONATING AT LEAST ONE CLAYMORE MINE AND TWO TRIP FLARES. FIRE WAS INSTANTANEOUS ON IMPACT OF THE AFT SECTION. THE PILOT EXITED THROUGH THE RIGHT COCKPIT JETTISONABLE DOOR WHICH HAD OPENED ON IMPACT, FOLLOWED BY THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND THE CREWCHIEF. THE GUNNER EXITED EITHER THROUGH THIS DOOR OR THE RIGHT CHIN BUBBLE. THE FLIGHT ENGINEER, WHO WAS IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOTTOM HATCH, AND THE KOREAN LIASON NCO, WHO WAS SITTING IN A TROOP SEAT BESIDE THE HATCH, WERE THROWN TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT ENTERED THE NOSE-HIGH CONFIGURATION, AND WERE NOT SEEN BY ANY MEMBER OF THE CREW AFTER IMPACT. AFTER CLEARING THE AIRCRAFT, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT IMMEDIATELY WENT TO A PHONE AND NOTIFIED ^268TH AVIATION BATTALION^ OPERATIONS AND PROCURED MEDEVAC ASSISTANCE. THE FIRE CONSUMED THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT WITHIN FIVE MINUTES.\\
This record was last updated on 03/06/2004
This information is available on CD-ROM.
Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org
Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.
KIA statistics
Return to the KIA panel date index
Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association