Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16387
The Army purchased this helicopter 1069
Total flight hours at this point: 00000269
Date: 04/12/1970
Incident number: 70041629.KIA
Unit: ACT/11 ACR
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT562863 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT562863)
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC CPT ADAMS GEORGE HARTWELL KIA
P CPT ATCHISON JAMES MITCHELL KIA
G SP4 MILLER CLEVE DAVIS KIA
C SP4 CARRIZALES DIONISIO G KIA
CE SP4 LOPEZ RES
Passengers and/or other participants:
CPT SELF JERRY L, AR, PX, RES
War Story:
The aircraft crashed at speed in a nose low attitude. Both pilots were killed on impact if not already dead. Crew chief was thrown out of the aircraft and survived with minor injuries.
I was also on that flight on Sunday morning 12 Apr 1970. SP4 Carrizales and I were the crewmembers on a "sniffer" mission that morning. We were both assigned to the 33rd Chemical Detachment which was attached to the 11th ACR. As we were descending to begin our run, we took ground fire from what sounded like a 30-cal machine gun. There were multiple hits and the pilots lost hydraulic control of the chopper and we descended steeply at about 90 knots into the jungle canopy. I would estimate that we were about 300-500 feet when hit. While going down, rounds had penetrated the engine and fire was shooting out between SP4 Carrizales and me who were on the bench seat. I was on the left side of the seat and Dion on the right side. I regained consciousness after the crash, opened my eyes and saw only flames. My hair and right shoulder clothing were on fire. I pulled my seatbelt release and fell from the flaming craft. The chopper at this point was hanging up in the trees. I spent 3 months in the hospital for my burns.
From: Jerry L. Self, Captain Chemical Corps at that time.
This record was last updated on 09/14/2014
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Date posted on this site:
11/13/2023
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