Helicopter OH-6A 68-17175


Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 68-17175
The Army purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours at this point: 00001250
Date: 09/15/1971
Incident number: 710915181ACD Accident case number: 710915181 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/3/17 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Di An in
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 0
costing 99803
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
P O3 HL SKINNER
CP W1 RO EDWARDS
G SP4 JAQUINS CHARLES EGBERT INJ


Accident Summary:

 ^CPT SKINNER^ AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING A GENERAL VR FOR A POSSIBLE INSERTION IN THE VICINITY OF XT 377093. A CREW CHANGE WAS MADE ON THIS MISSION AND ^ WO1 EDWARDS^ WAS ASSIGNED AS OBSERVER WITH ^CPT SKINNER,^ BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN INTO THE AREA EARLY THAT DAY. A TARGET (BUNKER) WAS SPOTTED AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO MARK IT WITH A WHITE PHOSPHORUS GRENADE. ^CPT SKINNER^ WAS ADVISED BY THE DOOR GUNNER ^SP4 JAQUINS^ THAT THE GRENADE WAS READY TO DROP. WHEN HE REACHED THE POINT TO MARK THE TARGET^CPT SKINNER^ AND ^WO1 EDWARDS^ HEARD A LOUD POP AND SHORTLY AFTERWARD THE AIRCRAFT FILLED WITH SMOKE. ^CPT SKINNER^ APPLIED LEFT PEDDLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAR THE AIRCRAFT OF SMOKE. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A DESCENT AND JUST PRIOR TO MAKING CONTACT WITH THE GROUND HE REGAINED PARTIAL VISIBILITY. REALIZING HE WAS IN A DESCENT AND ABOUT TO CRASH INTO THE GROUND, HE FLARED THE AIRCRAFT, BUT DUE TO THE LOW ALTITUDE AT THAT TIME THE TAILBOOM OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND. THEMAIN ROTOR FLEXED DOWN CUTTING THE LAST THREE TO FOUR FEET OF THE TAILBOOM OFF. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN THE SAME DIRECTION, BUT STARTED SPINNING TO THE RIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ROLL OFF THE THROTTLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE THE THROTTLE WAS BINDING. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN FIVE TIMES AND HIT ON THE RIGHT FRONT SKID SECTION AND ROLLED TO ITS RIGHT FRONT SIDE. THE PILOT, ^CPT SKINNER^ AND OBSERVER, ^WO1 EDWARDS^ EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH A HOLE IN THE BUBBLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THEY THEN REMOVED THE GUNNER, ^SP4 JAQUINS,^ WHO WAS STILL STRAPPED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND SEVERELY BURNED. THEY IMMEDIATELY PUT HIM IN A SMALL PUDDLE OF WATER TO EXTINGUISH THE BURNING WHITE PHOSPHORUS. THE C&C AIRCRAFT LANDED AND EVACUATED ALL THREE CREWMEN TO THE 24TH EVACUATION HOSPITAL IN LONG BINH.\\

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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