Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 67-15814
The Army purchased this helicopter 1168
Total flight hours at this point: 00000320
Date: 05/15/1969
Incident number: 690515271ACD Accident case number: 690515271 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/1/9 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Tay Ninh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 652341
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 KOON ALBERT LEWIS KIA
P WO1 DONICS WILLIAM CALDWELL KIA
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT ^814^ WAS SUPPORTING THE ^25TH INFANTRY DIVISION^ COVERING A NIGHT HAWK RECONNAISSANCE MISSION IN TAY NINH PROVINCE, RVN. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST REFUELED AFTER COMPLETING A TWO HOUR NIGHT HAWK MISSION AND WAS ON STATION AGAIN FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT 1500 FEET AGL WHEN SOME ENEMY WERE SPOTTED BY THE SEARCH LIGHT SHIP. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF THE COBRA WAS ASKED TO ENGAGE THE TARGET. HE IDENTIFIED THE TARGET AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUEST, MAKING A BLACK-OUT ROCKET RUN FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH. THE COBRA ENGAGED, HOWEVER, THE ROCKETS FELL SOME 3 TO 400 METERS SHORT. DURING THE LAST PORTION OF THE ROCKET RUN, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF THE COBRA REPORTED A TAIL ROTOR FAILURE AND ASKED THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF THE LIGHT SHIP TO CALL APACHE, THE COBRA'S OPERATIONS. HEARING THE COBRA'S CALL, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF THE LIGHT SHIP ASKED HIM TO TURN ON HIS ANTI-COLLISION AND POSITION LIGHTS. THE COBRA WAS NEXT SEEN IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, CLIMBING TO 1500 FEET AND COMING TO ZERO AIRSPEED. THE COBRA THEN ENTERED A SLOW RIGHT HAND TURN AND STARTED A TIGHT, DESCENDING SPIRAL. THE COBRA CONTINUED TO DESCEND UNTIL REACHING 3 TO 400 FEET AGL, WHEN MAST BUMPING OCCURRED, CAUSING THE COBRA TO LOSE THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM. FROM 3 TO 400 FEET THE AIRCRAFT FREE FELL IMPACTING NOSE FIRST AND EXPLODING. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF THE LIGHT SHIP STATED THAT HE FOLLOWED THE DESCENT OF THE COBRA AND AFTER IMPACT NOTICED, BY THE USE OF HIS LIGHT, THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LYING ON ITS RIGHT SIDE BURNING IN THE FUSELAGE AREA. NO MOVEMENT WAS NOTICED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BURNING. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF THE SEARCH LIGHT SHIP ATTEMPTED A LANDING NEAR THE WRECKAGE BUT A HUGE SECONDARY EXPLOSION FROM THE COBRA INJURED ONE OF HIS CREW. HE ALSO THOUGH HIS AIRCRAFT SUFFERED DAMAGE SO HE RETURNED TO TAY NINH TO INSPECT HIS AIRCRAFT.\\
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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