Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16502
The Army purchased this helicopter 1268
Total flight hours at this point: 00000040
Date: 02/05/1969
Incident number: 690205201ACD Accident case number: 690205201 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: B/9 AVN 9 INF
The station for this helicopter was Dong Tam in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 3
costing 247969
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 WO1 BURKHART WILLARD HARLEY KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
SSG OSTEEN CHARLES ROBERT, AR, PX, KIA
O2 WR HERSCHLIP, PAX, D
** PERRY, PAX, G
Accident Summary:
Aircraft departed Dong Tam base camp, Dinh Tuong Province, at approximately 1745 hours, 5 Feb 69 to perform an engineer recon of bridges on highway LTL29, approximately 5-7 kilometers southwest of Moc Hoa. While performing an aerial recon at gird coordinates XS 085843 the aircraft struck the water and sank at approximately 1817 hours. The pilot had initiated flight following upon take-off with Army Aviation Element (AAE) 9th Inf Div and a position report was due at 1815 hours. The flight following service initiated a radio search at approximately 1830 hours. AAE notified 9th Aviation Bn OPNS that an aircraft was suspected to be down in gird XS084844. 9th Avn Bn OPNS scrambled aircraft for search and rescue, but upon arrival at the site at 1900 hours they determined that the aircraft was lost in the river. Two survivors had been recovered by the 216th RF Company immediately after the crash. Search operations for the aircraft and survivors continued until 0200 hours 6 Feb 69. Then operations were suspended until daylight due to the tactical situation. The seaarch operations resumed after daybreak and the aircraft was located at approximately 1100 hours in 30 feet of water at GRID XS 086844 by a Navy Seal Team. The search was conducted jointly by 9th Avn Bn, Naval River Division 535 PBR unit, and by the 216th RF Company. Capability for direct recovery was not available within 24-48 hours and the wreckage was dragged by PBR some 15-20 meters to shallow water where helicopter recovery was completed by a UH-1H. All major components of the aircraft were recovered with the exception of the tail cone center section, 3 main rotor blades and the log book. The occupants of the pilot's compartment of the helicopter were missing in action until their bodies were recovered on 7 Feb 69. It was determined by the witness testimony that all occupants survived the crash. This was not invalidated by the autopsy report.
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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