ERVIN JAMES P

CW4 James P Ervin was a potential VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 09/02/1969 at the age of 37.9 from A/C Accident
Prudhoe Bay, AK
Date of Birth 10/02/1931
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with 478 AVN in 66
This information was provided by Bryan R. Swopes, James R. Oden, Jack Brown

More detail on this person: Chief Ervin was killed 1735 local, 2 September 1969, near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, after his helicopter, Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane N6964R, crashed and burned following a tail rotor failure. Two others aboard were also killed.

NTSB Accident report ACN70A0020 lists the probable cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE(S) ROTORCRAFT - FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS: TAIL ROTOR PITCH CONTROL SYSTEM MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - FATIGUE FRACTURE PERSONNEL - PRODUCTION-DESIGN-PERSONNEL: INCORRECT FACTORY INSTALLATION

9 months earlier, 30 December 1968, CW4 Ervin flew a CH-54A Tarhe to two FAI Time-to-Altitude world records at Stanford, Connecticut. (FAI file numbers 9944 and 9961.

Time to 3,000 meters: 1 minute, 38.2 seconds (9944) Time to 6,000 meters: 2 minutes, 58.9 seconds Time to 9,000 meters: 7 minutes, 54 seconds (9961)

This information was last updated 05/18/2016

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Date posted on this site: 10/13/2025