Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16793
The Army purchased this helicopter 0967
Total flight hours at this point: 00001737
Date: 04/30/1970
Incident number: 70043044.KIA
Unit: 45 MED
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: ZT006062 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PZT006062)
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 WO1 SMITH JOHN RAYMOND KIA
CE SP5 MARLOW DONALD RAY KIA
MD SP5 KELEHER KEVIN REYNOLDS KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
SP4 SANTELLANO LUIS ADRIAN, AR, PX, KIA
War Story:
Picked up a wounded 25th Infantry soldier in from of an NVA bunker complex near Ham Tam. Took numerous 51 cal hits leaving pickup site. The aircraft was heavily damaged and the medic took hit in chest. The grunt was also hit. Smitty elected to try and return to the surgical hospital with the wounded. The right seat survived. He said the engine and hydraulics quit at the same time. The aircraft went into trees, rolled and burned. The right seat woke up sitting at the base of a tree with minor burns to his neck and wrists. All others were killed. reported by Robert Hankins. July 1997.
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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