Helicopter CH-47C 67-18523


Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47C tail number 67-18523
The Army purchased this helicopter 0568
Total flight hours at this point: 00000337
Date: 04/02/1969 MIA-POW file reference number: 1421
Incident number: 690402311ACD Accident case number: 690402311 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/159 ASHB 101 ABN
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Phu Bai in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XD908232 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48QXD908232)
Number killed in accident = 20 . . Injured = 26 . . Passengers = 45
costing 1536424
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: 1421 ()
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC MAJ BUTLER DANIEL L
P CW3 POWERS LOWELL STEPHEN BNR
CE E4 AT HERRERA
G E4 TOLAN RALPH E
FE SP4 MACKIE RICHARD W

Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK UNK, PAX, X
UNK UNK, PAX, X
UNK UNK, PAX, X
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, A
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, C
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D
UNK UNK, PAX, D


REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: At 1240 hours on April 2, 1969, WO1 Lowell Powers was the pilot of a CH47 helicopter (serial #67-18523). He landed at an LZ in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, near Khe Sanh, where about 73 members of the ARVN 9th Popular Forces Company were loaded onto his aircraft. Powers left the LZ, the aircraft lost power, settled to earth, but touched down on the side of a ravine and then rolled down to the bottom of the ravine, coming to rest on its left side. Upon landing, Maj. Butler, the aircraft commander, asked WO1 Powers if he was all right, and received a positive response. Maj. Butler later reported that WO Powers released his harness and called back through the companionway to the passenger compartment. Maj. Butler left the aircraft through the left window, but never saw WO1 Powers again. A short time later, the aircraft began to explode. The area was reached quickly by a Republic of Vietnam Popular Forces and their American/Australian advisors from Advisory Team 19. A series of searches was undertaken in the immediate area for any survivors. Later, it was determined that WO1 Powers was missing. Search efforts were made for him. The other members of the flight crew were able to reach safety. The result of the crash was one American missing in action, 23 ARVN killed in action, and 50 ARVN wounded. That night, the area was secured by an ARVN company, and the next morning an ARVN and 3rd Marine Division Graves Registration team started the recovery of the remains. The ARVN team recovered what was thought to be 17 bodies, and the Marine team recovered 3 bodies. At Quang Tri on April 4, it was found that the ARVN had taken what they recovered and divided it into 21 caskets, which were turned over to the next of kin. The ARVN believed that Americans could keep one of the bodies they had recovered and turn the other 2 over to the ARVN. The ARVN would then have accounted for all their known losses. It was later determined that all 3 of the remains recovered by the Marines were Vietnamese. Efforts were made by the U.S. Army mortuary officer to exhume the ARVN remains to determine if WO1 Powers was among those remains turned over to the Vietnamese next of kin, but his efforts were unsuccessful because of Vietnamese religious restraints.


Accident Summary:

 ON ^2 APRIL 1969^, CH47C HELICOPTER #^67-18523^ HAD A MISSION SOUTH OF ^VANDERGRIFT^ TO A NEW LANDING ZONE, ^LZ ANGLE^. THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED THE GENERAL AREA UNTIL THE LZ WAS LOCATED BY SMOKE IDENTIFICATION. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED TO THE EAST AND WAS LOADED WITH ARVN SOLDIERS. IT LIFTED OFF, AND AS IT CLEARED THE TREES, A LOSS OF POWER WAS EXPERIENCED. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES DID NOT CORRECT THE CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED VERTICALLY AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF A RAVINE. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RAVINE, WHERE IT CAME TO REST IN PLACE.\\

This record was last updated on 08/30/2018


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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