Helicopter OH-6A 67-16637


Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16637
The Army purchased this helicopter 0269
Total flight hours at this point: 00000411
Date: 08/29/1969
Incident number: 690829211ACD Accident case number: 690829211 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 2 BDE 1 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Phouc Vinh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 0
costing 140220
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 CHAFFIN WILLIAM T III KIA
CE E5 DE ECHOLS
G E2 LR HUGHES


Accident Summary:

 AIRCRAFT 637 WAS CONDUCTING A LOW-LEVEL SCOUT MISSION IN PHUOC LONG PROVINCE, RVN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS 30 MINUTES INTO THIS, ITS SECOND MISSION. THE FIRST MISSION HAD LASTED APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING LOW-LEVEL AND IN A STEEP RIGHT TURN OVER A SUSPECTED ENEMY TRAIL. THE CREW CHIEF TOLD THE PILOT THERE WAS A UH-1 AT HIS 10 O]CLOCK POSITION. THE PILOT STARTED TO LEVEL OUT TO AVOID THE OTHER AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SEEING THE OTHER AIRCRAFT DID NOT EFFECT HIM, STARTED TO BANK BACK TO THE RIGHT. UPON LEVELING OUT THERE WAS A TALL TREE TO THEIR DIRECT FRONT. THE PILOT TRIED TO AVOID THE TREE BY CLIMBING AND BANKING HARD TO THE RIGHT. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TOO LATE AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WITH TREE. UPON HITTING THE TREE, THE LEFT SKID AND THE TAIL BOOM WERE BROKEN FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SPIN AS IT FELL. THE AIRCRAFT HIT ADDITIONAL TREES AS IT FELL AND LANDED INVERTED. THE CREW CHIEF AND PILOT WERE BOTH PINNED IN THE WRECKAGE. APPARENTLY THE GUNNER WAS THROWN CLEAR WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE TREES AS IT FELL. WITHIN 20 MINUTES A MEDEVAC SHIP WAS AT THE SCENE TO EVACUATE THE CREW. THE JUNGLE PENETRATOR WAS USED TO FIRST EVACUATE THE GUNNER. THEN FOUR MEN WERE DROPPED DOWN TO FREE THE TWO PINNED IN THE WRECKAGE. THE PILOT HAD APPARENTLY BEEN KILLED BY THE IMPACT WITH THE TREES.\\

This record was last updated on 05/25/1998


This information is available on CD-ROM.

Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org

Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.

KIA statistics

Return to the KIA name list

Return to the KIA panel date index

Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association