Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47A tail number 64-13161
The Army purchased this helicopter 1165
Total flight hours at this point: 00002102
Date: 08/30/1969
Incident number: 690830071ACD Accident case number: 690830071 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 205 ASHC
This was an Operational Loss caused by an accident by Accident with the mission function of
Command and Control (missions assigned to an aircraft for the primary purpose of airlifting a
commander or staff in control of tactical operations or for radio relay stations)
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Phu Loi in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YS278872 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYS278872)
Casualties = YES . . Number killed in accident = 5 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 1
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
costing 1263117
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center AVDAC database. Defense Intelligence Agency
Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report.
)
Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was not recovered
Crew Members:
P CW2 GRAY ROBERT VERNON KIA
P CW2 BUTTERFIELD MARVIN JEAN KIA
CE SGT TRIMNAL GREGORY NEESE KIA
G SP4 VERNER SCOTT MITCHELL KIA
FE SP5 MOTT JAMES FRANKLIN KIA
Accident Summary:
CH-47A, SN 64-13161 DEPARTED PHU LOI AT APPROXIMATELY 0750 HOURS ON 30 AUGUST 1969. ITS MISSION FOR THE DAY CONSITED OF GENERAL SUPPORT TO BE AUSTRALIANS, WORKING FROM A RESUPPLY POINT LOCATED AT NUI DAT, RVN. THE FIRST MISSION WAS A CONEX CONTAINER, WHICH WAS MOVED AT 0815 HOURS FROM LONG BINH TO FSB MOHAWK. THE REST OF THE MORNING WAS SPENT HAULING SORTIES FOR THE AUSTRALIANS, INCLUDING A BATTERY MOVE OF FOUR HOWITZERS AND AMMUNITION PLUS A WATER TRAILER AND A SORTIE OF PSP. AT APPROXIMATELY 1210 HOURS, JUST AFTER COMPLETING REFUELING, 161 PICKED UP A LOAD OF A-22 BAGS EXTERNALLY, AND ABOUT 50 LBS OF CARGO NETS INTERNALLY. THE TOTAL WEIGHT WAS APPROXIMATELY 6500 LBS. THE LOAD WAS GOING TO FSB DIGGER'S REST'S LOADMASTER AND REQUESTED THAT SMOKE AND YELLOW SMOKE WAS THROWN. THE YELLOW SMOKE WAS ROGERED AND THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE RIGHT, HEADING ALMOST DUE EAST, AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET, APPARENTLY TO MAKE MORE ROOM FOR THE TURN TO FINAL. THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE SOUTH AND THE AIRCRAFT WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN TO COME BACK INTO IT. AS THE AIRCRAFT REACHED A POSITION ABREAST OF THE MORTAR PITS ON THE NORTHERN PART OF THE FSB AND APPROXIMATELY 200 METERS EAST OVER THE TREE LINE THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO START A FLARE, DROPPING ITS TAIL SLIGHTLY, THEN IT CONTINUED ON OVER INTO A NEAR INVERTED POSITION. IT THEN DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW BEHING THE TREELINE, AND CRASHED INTO THE GROUND. A PIECE OF BLADE FLEW OUT OF THE TREELINE, LANDING IN A MORTAR PIT AND DAMAGING THE SIGHT OF THE TUBE. THE BLADE TRAVELED OVER 300 METERS FROM ITS POINT OF INITIAL CONTACT. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE VIEW OF ALL WITNESSES, IT STILL HAD TO FALL APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET. IN THIS DISTANCE IT CAME OUT OF ITS INVERTED POSITION AND STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NEAR UPRIGHT POSITION, WITH THE RIGHT SIDE AND TAIL SLIGHTLY LOW. WITHIN FIVE MINUTES AN AUSTRALIAN OH-13 PILOT, WHO HAD BEEN ALERTED BY GROUND PERSONNEL, BEGAN ORBITING THE AREA. HE FOUND THE AIRCRAFT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. IT APPEARED TO HAVE LANDED QUITE HARD ON ITS RIGHT QUARTER AND WAS AFLAME IN THE TAIL AND MIDDLE SECTIONS. THE OH-13 PILOT COULD SEE THE PILOT OF THE CH-47A IN THE RIGHT SEAT, BUT COULD NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER. ON THE GROUND AN AUSTRALIAN PATROL WAS ATTEMPTING TO REACH THE CRASH SITE. THE CRASHED HELICOPTER'S EXTERNAL LOAD OF AMMUNITION BEGAN EXPLODING AND THE OH-13 PILOT WAS FORCED TO DEPART EH AREA. AFTER A FEW SMALL EXPLOSIONS A MUCH LOUDER AND MORE POWERFUL EXPLOSION WAS HEARD, FOLLOWED BY MANY OTHER EXPLOSIONS AS ROUNDS BEGAN TO COOK OFF. THIS ONE LARGE EXPLOSION OR SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS BLEW THE AIRCRAFT INTO A FINAL RESTING POSITION OF 120 DEGREES ON ITS BACK, ON A HEADING OF 265 DEGREES. ALL PORTIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT BURNED COMPLETELY EXCEPT THE COCKPIT AREA, FORWARD PYLON, AFT PYLON AND #1 ENGINE. ALL CREW MEMBERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.\\
This record was last updated on 11/21/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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