Information on U.S. Air Force helicopter HH-3E tail number 65-12779
Date: 02/06/1967 MIA-POW file reference number: 0591
Incident number: 67020610.KIA
Unit: 38 ARRS DET 5
North Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: WE847643 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QWE847643)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 0591 ()
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P COL KIBBEY RICHARD ABBOTT RR
P COL WOOD PATRICK HARDY RR
C CMS HALL DONALD JOE RR
PR A1C HACKNEY DUANE D RES
Passengers and/or other participants:
MAJ HEISKELL LUCIUS LAMAR, AF, PX, BNR
REFNO Synopsis:
On February 6, 1967, Capt. Lucius L. Heiskell was a pilot and was flying an O1F aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission with another O1F when his aircraft was struck by enemy fire forcing him to bail out. His parachute was followed to the ground and voice contact with him indicated that immediate rescue was not feasible due to enemy troops in the area.
Beeper signals continued and later an HH3E helicopter flown by Maj. Patrick H. Wood was dispatched to recover Heiskell. He was at this time located near the border of Laos and North Vietnam about 5 miles from the Mu Gia Pass. Wood's crew that day included Capt. Richard A. Kibbey and SSgt. Donald J. Hall.
Heiskell was hoisted aboard, but as the helicopter was departing the area, it was hit by ground fire causing it to explode and crash. The helicopter pararescueman (D.D. Hackney) survived, rescued and treated for burns. The remainder of the crew, Hall, Kibbey and Wood, as well as Heiskell, were not located.
Patrick H. Wood was promoted to the rank of Colonel during the time he was maintained Missing in Action.
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Copyright 1991 Homecoming II Project.
This record was last updated on 02/09/2019
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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