Helicopter UH-1H 66-16983


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16983
The Army purchased this helicopter 1067
Total flight hours at this point: 00000578
Date: 11/12/1968
Incident number: 681112231ACD Accident case number: 681112231 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/227 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Phouc Vinh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 514554
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. )
Summary: Mid-air with 67-17407 during formation flight-by of company area while repositioning helicopters.
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P WO1 CUMMINGS JAMES E JR KIA
P WO1 MONG WILBUR LEROY KIA
CE SGT MCCURTAIN CHARLES RAY JR KIA
G SGT LARSON DALE K KIA


Accident Summary:

 AT ^0710^ HOURS A FLIGHT OF FOUR SLICKS LIFTED OFF FROM THE ^"NEW" WATER BUFFALO^ PAD AT ^PHUOC VINH^. THEIR MISSION WAS TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT TO THE ^"OLD" WATER BUFFALO^ PAD, ONLY A FEW HUNDRED METERS AWAY, SO THAT REVETTMENT CONSTRUCTION COULD CONTINUE IN THE NEW AREA. RATHER THAN HIGH HOVER OR OTHERWISE PROCEED INDIVIDAULLY TO THE OTHER PARKING AREA, THEY SECURED TOWER CLEARANCE FOR A FORMATION FLY BY OF THEIR COMPANY AREA AND APPROACH TO THE OLD PAD. TRAFFIC IN THE AREA WAS LIGHT, AND THE TOWER GRANTED THE CLEARANCE. AFTER FORMING UP INTO A VERY TIGHT ECHELON, AND TURNING DOWNWIND LEG, THE NUMBER TWO AIRCRAFT OBSERVED TO DECELERATE SLIGHTLY. THE NUMBER THREE AIRCRAFT AT THAT TIME OVERTOOK THE NUMBER TWO AIRCRAFT. THEIR ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 90 FEET. THE MAIN ROTOR OF THE NUMBER THREE AIRCRAFT ^(983)^, STRUCK THE MAIN ROTOR OF THE NUMBER TWO AIRCRAFT ^(407)^, AT ABOUT THE 4 O'-CLOCK POSITION OF THE NUMBER TWO AIRCRAFT. THE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER FOUR AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON WITHOUT BECOMING INVOLVED. THE NUMBER TWO AIRCRAFT ^(407)^ CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD IN A RAPID, ERRATIC DESCENT. IT STRUCK THE GROUND WITH A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT AND SLIGHT FORWARD SPEED. ON IMPACT, THE TAIL BOOM SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE FUSELAGE FLIPPED FORWARD ONTO ITS TOP. THE CREW ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE NUMBER THREE AIRCRAFT ^(983)^ BEGAN TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. THE TAIL BOOM IMMEDIATELY SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE FUSELAGE BEGAN TO BURN. IT FELL, OUT OF CONTROL, STRUCK THE GROUND INVERTED, BOUNCED FORWARD ABOUT 20 FEET AND EXPLODED. ONE CREW MEMBER WAS THROWN CLEAR OF THE WRECKAGE, BUT WAS KILLED BY DECELERATIVE FORCES. THE OTHER THREE CREW MEMBERS REMAINED IN THE BURING WRECKAGE.\\

This record was last updated on 05/25/1998


This information is available on CD-ROM.

Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org

Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.

KIA statistics

Return to the KIA name list

Return to the KIA panel date index

Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association