Helicopter UH-1B 62-02009


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1B tail number 62-02009
The Army purchased this helicopter 0563
Total flight hours at this point: 00003421
Date: 09/30/1968
Incident number: 680930251ACD Accident case number: 680930251 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: B/2/20 ARA 1 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Camp Evans in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD365365 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QYD365365)
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 0
costing 428188
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:
P 1LT LAZICKI RONALD WAYNE KIA
P WO1 MCPHAIL FRANKLIN LLOYD KIA
CE E5 JE WICKANDER


Accident Summary:

At 0200 hours, 30 September 1968, 009 departed Camp Evans POL to conduct a mortar patrol mission in the vicinity of LZ Nancy. A few minutes after take off, at 500 feet altitude the aircraft went IFR in clouds and rain. There is an unsubstantiated report that the pilot attempted to obtain radar assistance at that time. Very soon thereafter the pilot lost control of the aircraft and observed its entry into a steep dive. He recovered from this dive with "g" forces sufficient to cause at least the crew chief to black out. Shortly after leveling off from the dive, the aircraft struck a steep hillside deep in a river canyon. The pilots both died in their seats. The crew chief regained consciousness some time after the crash. He was still strapped in his seat. The aircraft had slid down the hill into the creek after impact and the cabin was filled with water. He unbuckled his seat belt and swam clear of the aircraft. He laid beside the creek for approximately 18 hours awaiting rescue. He was finally evacuated at 1830 hours. The following day a team of infantrymen repelled into the area, cut a small LZ, extracted the bodies and destroyed the aircraft and weapons systems in place.

This record was last updated on 05/25/1998


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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