Helicopter AH-1G 67-15686


Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 67-15686
The Army purchased this helicopter 0768
Total flight hours at this point: 00000325
Date: 05/18/1969
Incident number: 69051818.KIA
Unit: D/1/1 CAV
This was Combat Incident Damage caused by Other Combat by Ground Fire .50 cal to 20 mm in size with the mission function of Visual Reconnaissance
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED
This was a Recon mission for Armed Escort , Other Aircraft.
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT288154 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBT288154)
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Cockpit
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 WIA, 01 KIA . . Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft was diverted prior to accomplishing any mission objectives.
costing 0
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center AVDAC database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: LNOF, 90248, CASRP, Mike (John M.) Henry (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Casualty Report. )
Summary: Took several 51 cal hits during VR west of Tam Ky that killed Huber. Did a running landing at Tam Ky.
Helicopter was recovered

Crew Members:
P CPT HUBER LEO JOHN III KIA
AC CPT HENRY JOHN MICHAEL WIA


War Story:
It was early in the morning, about 0830 or 0900. We were flying with a Pink team reconning for a 23rd Inf Div ground unit about 8Ks west of Tam Ky. There was lots of enemy activity in the area - 51 cal pits and lots of heavily traveled trails but we couldn't find any people. The infantry were moving west to east down a ridge line when the LOH went down low to start working. It wasn't long before he received fire. I rolled in but nothing came out of the gunship. I reported this to my wing and climbed for some altitude. We recycled the electrical controls for the weapons systems and on my second pass we were firing. As we got near the bottom of the run, we started taking 51 cal hits. Even the infantry called "SWORD 75 - your taking hits!" I said "Roger That" in sort of a cocky manner - I'd been in country about 10 months then and had taken lots of fire. Well, suddenly the front canopy exploded with a big bang and I recall another big bang behind my seat. Another hit took out the FM radio and the top of the cyclic. This was how I got the wounds to my left leg and right hand. My pinky finger was hit and that would hurt for a long time. I yelled at Leo to take control of the helicopter because I didn't have a cyclic but when I looked toward the front, I could see he was most likely dead already. His body was smashed into what remained of the front cockpit and there was blood all over. The ship started a right roll. I reached down and found just a few inches of the cyclic sticking out of the floor. I started an auto-rotation but noticed the 51 fire crossing over and around the helicopter, so I ruled out landing in the middle of the bad guys. The engine was still running, so I flew it back to Tam Ky and did a running landing on the runway because I didn't know how badly it was damaged. There was a C-123 in position to take-off but he had to wait. My wounds were treated and I was evaced to the States. I believe that a CH-47 came to pick-up my Cobra but dropped it. Submitted to the VHPA July, 2000 by Mike Henry.

This record was last updated on 12/19/2010


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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