Helicopter UH-1D 65-09612


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 65-09612
The Army purchased this helicopter 0166
Total flight hours at this point: 00003580
Date: 07/24/1969
Incident number: 690724211ACD Accident case number: 690724211 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 128 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Phu Loi in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YS299466 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYS299466)
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 0
costing 298304
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P CPT ENGEL GREGORY CHARLES KIA
CP O3 RE WHITE


Accident Summary:

 AT 0910 HOURS, ON 24 JULY 1969, U.S. ARMY UH-1D HELICOPTER, SN 65-9612, DEPARTED PHU LOI AIRFIELD AS CHALK TWO IN A FLIGHT OF TWO UH-1'S. WITH A DESTINATION OF VUNG TAU AIRFIELD. THE PRIMARY MISSION WAS TO DELIVER THE AIRCRAFT TO A UNIT LOCATED AT THE VUNG TAU AIRFIELD IN ORDER TO PERFORM A ZYR-ZYS MODIFICATION. A SECONDARY MISSION OF GIVING TWO NEWLY ASSIGNED AVIATORS A LOCAL ORIENTATION WAS ALSO TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. THESE AVIATORS ACTED AS CREWCHIEF AND GUNNER FOR THE MISSION. THE FLIGHT TO VUNG TAU AIRFIELD WAS UNEVENTFUL, EXCEPT FOR COMMUNICATIONS DIFFICULTIES WHICH WERE NOTED IN THE UHF, FM, AND INTERCOM SYSTEMS. FIRST, AFTER LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT REFUELED, THEN TAXIED DOWN RUNWAY 30 TO TRANSIENT PARKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE LEAD SHIP PULLED INTO THE UPWIND REVETMENT, AND WENT TO MINIMUM PITCH, AFTER WHICH THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, CPT. STEBNER, BROADCAST "MINIMUM PITCH." CPT. ENGEL, FLYING FROM THE LEFT SEAT, PULLED UP PARALLEL TO THE REVETMENT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE LEAD SHIP, AND BEGAN TO MOVE LATERALLY TO THE RIGHT INTO THE REVETMENT. HIS INTENTIONS WERE TO PARK THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE FOOT OF THE "L." IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LEAD SHIP AND NUMEROUS OTHER SHIPS WERE PARKED IN THIS MANNER. HIS TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A PORTION OF THE REVETMENT AT THE FOOT OF THE "L." CAUSING A LOSS OF ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL. BETWEEN THE STRIKE AND THE TIME IT CAME TO REST, THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE WHICH HAD STRUCK THE REVETMENT BROKE OFF. THE OTHER HALF OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE AND THE 90 DEGREE GEARBOX FLEW OFF AS A UNIT. THE RESULTANT INBALANCE CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR TO HIT THE PAVEMENT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SHIP AT LEAST THREE TIMES. ONE OF WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION AND MAST TO FALL FORWARD INTO THE COCKPIT. PART OF THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM KNOCKED OFF CPT. ENGEL'S HELMET, AND THEN ANOTHER PART HIT HIM IN THE HEAD, CAUSING THE FATAL INJURY. THE PILOT, CPT WHITE, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS NO FIRE. TIME OF THE STRIKE WAS SET AT 1047 HOURS.\\

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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