Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16176
The Army purchased this helicopter 0869
Total flight hours at this point: 00000077
Date: 10/13/1969
Incident number: 691013281ACD Accident case number: 691013281 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 336 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Soc Trang in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YS583582 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYS583582)
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 1
costing 419965
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:
AC CW2 RUDOLPH RONALD CLEMENCE KIA
P CPT WHEELER JOHN MELVIN KIA
CE SP5 CATO WILLIE FRED KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
CIV MYHUYNH, , PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
AT APPROXIMATELY 1830 HOURS 13 OCTOBER 1969 A FLIGHT OF 3 UH-1H HELICOPTERS WERE ENROUTE FROM DONG BA THIN TO SOC TRANG. THE FLIGHT WAS DESCENDING FROM 6,000 FT. AIRCRAFT NUMBER 68-16176 WAS FLYING IN THE NUMBER 3 OR LEFT REAR POSITION OF A V OF 3 FORMATION. THE PILOT, MR. RUDOLPH, ASKED LEAD TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE OF TURBULANCE AND BUFFETING. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DECREASE AIRSPEED AND STATED HE WAS SLOWING TO 80 KNOTS. MR. RUDOLPH THEN ASKED LEAD TO SLOW TO 60 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS LATER AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF 4,000 TO 4,500 FT., MR. RUDOLPH CALLED THAT HE WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND THE COPILOT, CPT WHEELER STARTED CALLING MAY DAY. THE OTHER TWO AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO LOOK FOR 176. ALL WITNESSES IN THE TWO AIRCRAFT STATED THAT NO MORE THAN 15 SECONDS ELAPSED BETWEEN THE CALL "OUT OF CONTROL," AND SIGHTING THE AIRCRAFT BURNING IN THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT SHEARED THE TOP OFF OF A TREE AND STRUCK THE GROUND AT APPROXIMATELY AN 85 DEG ANGLE.\\
This record was last updated on 10/23/2012
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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