Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16357
The Army purchased this helicopter 0968
Total flight hours at this point: 00000518
Date: 06/13/1969
Incident number: 690613221ACD Accident case number: 690613221 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/3/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Miscellaneous mission for Training Flight
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
The station for this helicopter was Di An in Not Reported
UTM grid coordinates: YT129405 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYT129405)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 DOI . . Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 2
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
costing 209821
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.
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNOF,
90184, CASRP (Operations Report. Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P WO1 KINGHORN STEPHEN JOHN KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNK UNK, LCO, G
W1 LW MOORE, PAX, D
Accident Summary:
AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HOURS WO1 KINGHORN DEPARTED DIAN TO FLY TWO HOURS SOLO TIME IN THE OH-6A, SERIAL NUMBER 67-16357. THE LOCAL FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED BY CPT. MONTGOMERY, HIS INSTRUCTOR PILOT, AND THE RADIO TELEPHONE OPERATOR ENTERED THE CALL SIGN OF THE AIRCRAFT, CHARLIE HORSE 357 IN THE DAILY LOG. NEGATIVE CALLS WERE RECEIVED FROM CHARLIE HORSE 357 FROM THIS POINT ON. THE OH-6A PROCEEDED TO PHU LOI WHERE WO1 KINGHORN PICKED UP A FRIEND, WO1 MOORE. THE OH-6A DEPARTED PHU LOI AT 1510 HOURS, 13 JUNE, 1969 WITH WO1 KINGHORN AND WO1 MOORE ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY FLEW TOWARDS LAI KHE, BUT UPON CALLING LAE KHE ARTILLERY AND FINDING THAT THERE WAS ARTILLERY IMPACTING IN THEIR GENERAL LINE OF FLIGHT, THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT WAS TURNED TOWARD PHOUC VINH. THE ESTIMATED TIME OF FLIGHT FROM THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PHU LOI AND THE TIME IT ALLEGEDLY RECEIVED FIRE IS THIRTY-FIVE MINUTES. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS'S STATEMENT THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED RADAR FIFTY CALIBER FIRE WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1500 FEET. UPON RECEIVING FIRE, THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT WO1 KINGHORN LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE PITCH AND NOSED THE AIRCRAFT OVER MAKING A SHARP TURN TO THE RIGHT, LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT, MADE A SHARP TURN TO THE LEFT AND WAS IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE, SPIRALLED TO THE RIGHT AND LANDED UPRIGHT ON THE GROUND. HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED WITH VERY LITTLE OR NO FORWARD AIRSPEED AS IS EVIDENT BY THE WRECKAGE DIAGRAM AND THE FACT THAT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UPRIGHT. IT SEEMS PROBABLE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WITH TOO LITTLE AIRSPEED BEGAN TO SINK AT A RELATIVELY LOW ALTITUDE AND AS COLLECTIVE PITCH WAS ADDED THE ANTI-TORQUE FORCES WERE DISSIPATED, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN, NOSE ABOUT THE TAIL, STRIKE A TREE AND FALL STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND WITH AN IMPACT FORCE TO THE LEFT SIDE. WO1 MOORE STATED THAT AFTER THE ACCIDENT HE PULLED WO1 KINGHORN, WITH HIS HELP, OUT OF THE LEFT DOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT ACROSS THE CONSOLE AND THAT WO1 KINGHORN WAS COMPLETELY CLEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. APPROXIMATELY 48 HOURS LATER WO1 MOORE WAS RESCUED IN GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION AT COORDINATED YT 095376 IN THE SONG BE RIVER. WO1 KINGHORN WAS FOUND DEAD AT THE WRECKAGE FOUR HOURS LATER.\\
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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