Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15742
The Army purchased this helicopter 0669
Total flight hours at this point: 00002380
Date: 07/13/1972
Incident number: 72071333.KIA
Unit: 48 AHC
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD345549 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYD345549)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
G SP4 HILL MICHAEL ALAN KIA
War Story:
Aircraft was forced to flare excessively when ARVN Marines rushed the lead aircraft. The tail rotor on 742 was knocked off while flaring to avoid chalk 1, aircraft crashed in the LZ. The crew was picked up by chase birds. Mike Hill was flying gunner on 742 although he was normally a Cobra crew chief. Two F/4 slicks were chase on this mission, one was piloted by (Pappy) Walker Jones. Mike Hill scooted in behind Jones' seat when an ARVN shot up through the floor of the aircraft. The round came up through Mike Hill's knee, entered the bottom of his chin and exited the top of this head. From VHCMA 98 reunion.
F/4 Cav was an air cav troop (OH 6s, AH 1Gs, and UH-1Hs) The 48th was a slick unit that had 20 slicks and 8 AH 1Gs. The note follows:
After the insertions Vietnamese Marines, loss of the 53 and subsequent extraction of the crew, they suffered considerable loss of personnel. A US Marine advisor was with them and tried to coordinate/provide commo. Due to weather we were unable to Med Evac any of the wounded for three days. When the weather broke we went in with two slicks for the 48th and two from F/4.
CPT James Vorhees was mission lead. MAJ Ed Larson and I were C&C. The Marine LT on the ground with the Vietnamese radioed that they were lined up and ready to go, the walking wounded were to carry the litter patients to the helicopters, place the stretchers on the bird and get on themselves. The PZ was large enough for all four birds. However, on short/short final, the walking wounded dropped the stretchers and swarmed the helicopters. With the PZ full of running Marines the trail slick(48th AHC) flared to avoid hitting them and knocked off his tail rotor.
The first three birds took off immediately and came out overloaded with Vietnamese hanging on the skids. Vorhees call me and said that we would have to go in and pick up the Blue Star crew. We were orbiting a only few klicks south and immediately started in bound. When I got close I could see the Blue Star Bird with it's blades still turning slowly with the crew standing outside, their weapons and other equipment in their hands. I made my approach in front and as close as I could get. I could see rounds hitting the ground in front of me, kicking up dust. The PZ was hot. The 48th crew got on as quickly as they could but the Vietnamese swarmed us too but my CE and Gunner pushed them off and I pulled pitch and rotated forward.
Hill jumped in and on his butt and heels pushed himself back up behind my seat(I always flew in the left seat with Larson). A Vietnamese that CE Evans pushed away from the left side, fell backwards on his back, rolled over and fired into the helicopter (I
think at me) striking Hill. The round went through his knee, under his chin and out the top of his head. (Picture the attitude I was in: 50lbs of torque, nose down in a light left hand turn. )
Hill was a Cobra CE trying to get his flight time for flight pay on what was supposed to be a fairly quiet mission.
The writer to this day, regrets not having the CE Evans kill the VN Marine. On the way back, Hill's blood started filling the chin bubble under the ACs feet.
This record was last updated on 08/07/1999
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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