Helicopter UH-1C 66-00725

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-00725
The Army purchased this helicopter 0167
Total flight hours at this point: 00000546
Date: 02/29/1968
Incident number: 68022917.KIA
Unit: A/7/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Command and Control
While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 2000 feet and 110 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: ZA062365 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PZA062365)
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Systems damaged were: GEAR BOX, PERSONNEL, TAIL ROTOR
Casualties = 01 DOI . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, UH1P3, 06005, Mike Peters, Davin Huston (Operations Report. )
Summary: Hit by enemy fire while returning for fuel at Kontum, lost tail rotor, crashed into trees, came to rest on left side. Was retrieved.
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC CPT SAUNDERS PHILLIP A
P 1LT HUSTON DAVID
CE SP4 SCHULTZ RONNIE DEAN KIA
G PFC PETERS MICHAEL F

War Story:
UH-1C 66-00725 was our Trp CO, Maj Englet's ship when he was flying. The crew chief was Ronnie Schluz, the door gunner was Mike Peter's. Mike's memory of this crash is very similar to mine. CPT Saunders was the C & C commander for the day. I was flying the ship when this happened. This ship was recovered. This fuselage was pretty much intact, minus the 90 degree gearbox and tail rotor. The ship was dropped off at Camp Holloway. I went there but couldn't tell much other than the missing 90 degree gearbox and tail rotor. We did hear small arms fire briefly when we were in the area of operations, but I didn't hear any hit the ship. I have copied from an earlier email regarding this crash my memories of what happened. In this memory I mention this being the first crash. About a month later the same thing happened. This was in ship # 66-000727. I consider myself very lucky to only have had minor injuries. The crew chief of 725 died from his injury. In the second crash the Warrant Officer with me Dewey Sorenson suffered a broken back and was paralyzed in his lower extremities. That time we struck a rather large tree at 20 feet or so and the ship struck the ground in a nose low to left angle. The left side of the ship was crushed significantly. Sorensen crawled out of the broken windshield. There was no enemy activity for us that day. This ship was not recovered. It was mid to late afternoon. So the decision was made to destroy the ship in place. I didn't witness any of this action. I have pictures of both crash sites.

Below is a copy of my memory of that day. We were a single ship returning to refuel. CPT Saunders made a mayday call which was not acknowledged. At the crash site I was able to contact the Airforce C-130 SARS aircraft with my emergency radio. "Crown" was their call sign. I believe our ships heard his conversation with me and were able to direct our ships to our location. We were on the ground by ourselves for a time before our ships were overhead. A DustOFF ship extracted us one by one with the jungle penetrator rig.

Here below is my memory of the first crash:

In the first crash, we heard a loud noise .. a bang, I saw the tail rotor fly over and in front of us. The helicopter immediately turned at least 90 degrees to the relative wind. My reaction was to enter an autorotation. I don't remember an immediate pitch over. Landed (crashed) in tall trees and light underbrush. The ship rolled onto its left side on impact. The crew chief was partially ejected and was partially pinned under the ship. The airframe was intact. There were only minor injuries to myself, door gunner and the left seat pilot, CPT Saunders. We were the C & C ship that day and were returning as a single ship for fuel. Most likely were at 2000 feet or more.

From: David Huston

This record was last updated on 06/01/2024

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Date posted on this site: 10/25/2024