Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17226
The Army purchased this helicopter 0168
Total flight hours at this point: 00002563
Date: 05/22/1970
Incident number: 700522211ACD Accident case number: 700522211 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/227 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Phouc Vinh in Cambodia
UTM grid coordinates: YU356587 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYU356587)
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 3
costing 459945
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:
P CPT LARSON RICHARD ANDREW KIA
AC WO1 REILLY JOHN CHARLES KIA
CE SP4 ABLER JAMES LYNN KIA
G PVT MEHLHAFF RICHARD WAYNE KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
PMS, , G
E6 A RICHARDSON, PAX, C
SP4 BROOKS CHARLES ALLEN, AR, PAX, KIA
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT 226 AND 766 (AH-1G) WERE PERFORMING A LOW LEVEL SNIFFER MISSION IN THE VICINITY OF COORDINATES YU 354587. 226 WAS OPERATING AT TREE TOP LEVEL AS DICTATED BY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TYPE MISSION BEING PERFORMED. THE TERRAIN IN WHICH THEY WEREOPERATING IS DENSE JUNGLE AND MOUNTAINOUS, FORCED LANDING AREAS LIMITED TO BOMB CRATERS. AIRCRAFT 766 WAS DIRECTING THE FLIGHT PATH OF 226 FROM A HIGHER ALTITUDE, PERFORMING THE MISSIONS OF NAVIGATION AND COVER FOR THE LOW AIRCRAFT. WHILE TRAVELING TO THE NORTH AND ON AN UPSLOPE RUN, 226 CALLED A MAYDAY ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO ATTEMPT AN AUTOROTATIVE FLARE AND DISAPPEAR INTO THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AND PILOT OF 766 WITNESSED THE CRASH. THERE WERE NO OTHER WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT.\\
This record was last updated on 06/17/2015
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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