Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-17042
The Army purchased this helicopter 1167
Total flight hours at this point: 00000313
Date: 04/01/1969
Incident number: 690401291ACD Accident case number: 690401291 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 120 CAC
The station for this helicopter was Long Binh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 6 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 5
costing 615145
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:
AC CW2 TAYLOR MICHAEL GEORGE KIA
P WO1 YATEMAN DALE ARNOLD KIA
CE SP4 STAFFORD PHILIP CLARK KIA
G SP4 GOLDEN BARRY LEIGH KIA
PX SP5 DICKERHOFF TERRY WAYNE KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK UNK, GM, G
UNK HH MEIN, UNK, D
CIV LT HA, UNK, D
SP5 RADER REX EARL, AR, PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
UH-1H 66-17042 departed Hotel 3 Heliport at approximately 1700 on a heading of 210 degrees. At approximately three houndred feet indicated altitude the helicopter turned to an easterly heading and climbed to an altitude of 400 to 600 feet indicated (300 - 500 AGL). Somewhere south of the crash site there was apparently an engine failure followed by initiation of autorotation. The autorotaion was unsuccessful, ending in a crash and fire. Initial contact was made by the main rotor blad striking a telephone pole. The aircraft made ground contact with the tail striking first, severing the tail boom. Then the fuselage struck the ground with the skids approximately level with the nose turned 30 degrees left of the direction of travel. The fuselage section continued on for 132 feet, coming to rest on its right side and completely engulfed in flames. Two bodies were discovered outside the wreckage along the path of the aircraft.
War Story:
From Brian Brimfield: Sorry to request this information but its been bugging me for over 55 years. Just outside of 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon, sometime during 1969-70, a UH-1 crashed, (or was shot down), don't know which. All crewmen were killed, (number unknown). The aircraft burned. I witnessed one crewmember struggling to get away from the burning aircraft. He was burning! Horrible sight! He was extinguished by foam retardant. When the fire was extinguished, I rushed to the crash site and pulled one of the crew out of the wreckage. Hoping beyond hope he had somehow survived. He unfortunately didn't survive. Personnel and spectators from 3rd Field Hospital lined the roadway viewing the incident. However, no one made any attempt to rescue any survivors. Members of the staff of the hospital, commissioned and non-commissioned), told me afterwards that I was a " fool", risking my life for "nothing". (I didn't consider other lives for nothing)! The helicopter may have contained live ammunition, that if ignited, may have also killed me! I didn't consider that. I was focused on trying to save anyone that I could! There were many spectators. Many took pictures. My question is; has there been any information about this incident or any pictures surfaced after all these years? I know pictures were taken at the scene. I've tried researching the incident but have never found any record of it. Like it never happened! If you could research this incident, I would appreciate any and all information that you could afford me. Thank you.
I wish I could be more specific about the date of the incident. My best guess would place it sometime during 1969, perhaps mid year. ( It's hard to judge. It was always summer hot over there). Please understand, I was just a kid then and into my first tour! My memories are not what they used to be! I'm an old man now of 77 years. I applaud you for your efforts! Its very frustrating for me too! I know this mishap occurred. I witnessed it and participated in it! Your efforts, together with mine, ( spanning 50+ years), are both appreciated and frustrating! I don't want to think this incident was a cover-up for something that happened by mistake! But with no records so far..who knows?! 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon from 1969-70 had a "celebrity" head nurse, named Capt. Donna Rowe who was in charge of triage. ( you can find her on the internet). She may remember this incident. At the time of the incident, I worked with her. I really hope you have success with this inquiry. If you're really lucky, hopefully you can name all the casualties and recover any photographs from that incident. I look forward to settling this . It's been an ongoing issue with me and a contributor to my ptsd. Brian Brimfield
From Donna Rowe: YES! Sure sounds like what I saw from the top of the Massachusetts BOQ. I do remember two of the men in the backdoor jumping as it descended in front of the BOQ, but they probably died on contact as it was too high up to jump and live. (Horrible sight to see!!) The flames consumed almost everything from what I saw before running down to get dressed and head to Triage. I don't remember receiving the "2 Injured" but with an always busy Triage area they may have just ended up mixed in with other incoming casualties "from the field". The Date seems right also.
I don't remember any other Helicopter crashing near my LZ (Hotel 3) in the 369 days I was in Vietnam. (1968-1969). Glad we may have solved the mystery that has haunted Brian all these years. So happy we are still here to tell the stories of the great men & women we served with.
Much Thanks & "Welcome Home",
Donna C. Rowe
NOW! Brian I do remember that Helicopter crash like it was yesterday. I remember it because I was on a 1/2 day off as we had worked in E.R. Triage straight for 3 days at 3rd Field. I was on the top of my "hooch", the Massachusetts BOQ, hanging up laundry when I heard the chopper coming in with an odd sound. To my knowledge it had NOT been hit, but was having what sounded like a mechanical problem. He was in "auto-rotation" trying to make it to our LZ in the field across from 3rd Field but he "caught a wire" across from the MACV HQ and went down immediately in flames on the street.
The Foam equipment from Tan Son Nhat Airport was there immediately so the Huey must have been sending a May Day for that Foam equipment to get there so fast. I can still see the faces of the "backdoor" men in that chopper looking at me and the ground as they were "dropping" from the sky. I ran downstairs, got dressed and headed over to Triage, but we did not receive any survivors that I can remember. It was truly a chaotic mess in front of the BOQ and MACV HQ and the flames were huge. You were indeed a brave man to have ventured into that horrible mess to try to save a life. I knew some of our medics responded but by then it was impossible to help further due to the flames and all the foam. I don't think any of my men in E.R. Triage would have said not to have tried; as every day they saw the worse of the worse and we "tried" on every single casualty no matter how profound the wounds or bodily destruction they saw. All my medics were wonderful, talented and dedicated, as you obviously were. So don't have regrets, as we all learned War is a Horrible event but we ALL did the best we could and hopefully we at 3rd Field helped many get home that would NOT have made it if it wasn't for the Combat Medics and the wonderful people I worked with at 3rd Field. I do NOT remember the date, but I'd say I'd been at 3rd Field for quite a while so it may have been in the 1st part of 1969, as I rotated home in June of 1969.
I want to thank you both for your service in Vietnam, We were a FANTASTIC bunch of dear Americans who fought for the freedom of a people and for the love our Nation. Please stay in touch.
My Best,
Donna C. Rowe
This record was last updated on 10/26/2025
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Date posted on this site:
06/20/2026
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