Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-15214
The Army purchased this helicopter 0867
Total flight hours at this point: 00002043
Date: 04/26/1970
Incident number: 700426121ACD Accident case number: 700426121 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 162 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Dong Tam in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XS423517 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXS423517)
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 0
costing 305215
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 WO1 OCONNOR GERARD FRANCIS KIA
P W1 D STONER
CE E4 B POTTORFF
G E4 R VOLLES
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DESTROYING AN ENEMY BUNKER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ESTABLISHED A COURSE OF ACTION TO DESTROY THE BUNKER. HIS DECISION WAS TO ENGAGE THE BUNKER ON A SW TO NE COURSE LINE AND DISENGAGE THE TARGET BY MAKING A LEFT BREAK. THE WIND WAS FROM THE NE. WO1 CONNER BEGAN HIS ROCKET ATTACK AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 400' MSL. THE AVERAGE ELEVATION OF THE TARGET AREA IS APPROXIMATELY MEAN SEA LEVEL; HOWEVER TREES IN THE AREA REACH HEIGHTS OF APPROXIMATELY 50' TO 75'. WO1 O'CONNER BEGAN HIS ROCKET ATTACK AND FIRED TWO ROCKETS. BOTH ROCKETS IMPACTED BEYOND THE TARGET SO WO1O'CONNER INCREASED HIS ANGLE OF ATTACK IN AN ATTEMPT TO HIT THE TARGET BEFORE DISENGAGING THE TARGET. WHEN HE BEGAN HIS BREAK, HE WAS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE TREES, WO1 O'CONNER STARTED A TURN TO THE LEFT AND FLARED THE AIRCRAFT IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN ALTITUDE. HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE TREES WITH FORWARD AIRSPEED AND PLUNGED THROUGH THE TREES IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 METERS. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE AND ROLLED ON ITS LEFT SIDE AND BURST INTO FLAMES.\\
This record was last updated on 11/29/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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