Helicopter UH-1H 67-17371


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17371
The Army purchased this helicopter 0368
Total flight hours at this point: 00002325
Date: 09/27/1971
Incident number: 710927131ACD Accident case number: 710927131 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 187 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Di An in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 1
costing 455945
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 WO1 KARNEHM STEVEN DALE KIA
P CPT KINTARO JOHN JULLIANO KIA
CE SP4 CAMPOS LUIS HECTOR KIA
G SGT KUDLACEK EDWIN ALLEN INJ

Passengers and/or other participants:
O3 R GREENFIELD, FCO, G


Accident Summary:

 AT 1630 HOURS ON 27 SEPTEMBER 1971, A FLIGHT OF EIGHT (8) UH-1H HELICOPTERS LINED UP STAGGERED TRAIL (RIGHT) FOR A 270 DEGREE DEPARTURE FROM SONG BE AIRSTRIP. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN RELEASED AT 1615 HOURS TO RETURN TO DI AN. THE COMMAND AND CONTROL SHIP HAD DEPARTED MINUTES BEFORE THE FLIGHT FOR THE EXPRESSED PURPOSE OF OBTAINING WEATHER INFORMATION, WHICH HE RELAYED TO THE LEAD AIRCRAFT. UPON DEPARTING, THE COMMAND AND CONTROL SHIP CALLED LEAD AND REPORTED 1000 FEET CEILING AND 1/2 TO 1 MILE VISIBILITY. LEAD ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR TAKE OFF AND DEPARTED TURNING TO A 225 DEGREE HEADING. THE LEAD SHIP THEN ISSUED DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR INADVERTANT IFR BREAK-UP. APPROXIMATELY 1645, THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY FORCED THE LEAD SHIP DOWN TO 600 FEET INDICATED. IN THIS AREA THIS WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET AGL. JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH, SEVERAL OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN AND POOR VISIBILITY. DURING THE PERIOD OF LIMITED VISIBILITY. DURING THE PERIOD OF LIMITED VISIBILITY, CHALK SIX WAS OBSERVED EXECUTING A STEEP RIGHT TURN FROM DIRECTLY BELOW CHALK FIVE. CHALK SIX WAS THEN OBSERVED AS IT STRUCK THE TREES WITH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE MAKING CONTACT FIRST. CHALK SIX MADE NO CALLS PRIOR TO THE STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN BURST INTO FLAMES AS IT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. A CALL WAS MADE TO THE LEAD AIRCRAFT FROM CHALK FIVE THAT AN AIRCRAFT HAD GONE DOWN. LEAD CALLED FOR A COUNT OF CHALKS AND RECEIVED SEVEN REPLYS INDICATING ALL THE AIRCRAFT WERE ACCOUNTED FOR. AFTER THE FLIGHT DETERMINED THAT ONE OF THE CHALKS HAD ANSWERED TWICE, LEAD SPLIT THE FLIGHT TO INITIATE A SEARCH. THE LEAD SHIP WITH CHALKS 2, 3, AND 4 CONTINUED TO DI AN, AS THEY HAD CLEARED THE BAD WEATHER. CHALKS 5, 7, AND 8 THEN BEGAN A SEARCH, BUT WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE DOWNED AIRCRAFT DUE TO WEATHER. CHALKS 5, 7, AND 8 THEN PROCEEDED TO PHUOC VINH TO WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO CLEAR. AFTER APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND A HALF, THE WEATHER CLEARED AND THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND. ONE CREWMEMBER WAS OBSERVED STANDING NEAR THE WRECKAGE BUT THE HEIGHT OF THE TREES PREVENTED A LANDING. A MEDIVAC HELICOPTER HAD BEEN CONTACTED AND USING A JUNGLE PENETRATOR, RESCUED THE SURVIVOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS AFTER THE CRASH. THE BODIES OF THE OTHER CREWMEMBERS WERE RECOVERED ON 28 SEPTEMBER. DUE TO RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WEATHER ON THE 28TH, THE RECOVERY TEAM WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE CRASH SITE AND THE TACTICAL SITUATION PREVENTED FURTHER GROUND INSPECTION OR RECOVERY OF WRECKAGE PARTS.\\

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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