Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-00657
The Army purchased this helicopter 1166
Total flight hours at this point: 00002304
Date: 06/28/1970
Incident number: 700628121ACD Accident case number: 700628121 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 189 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Pleiku in
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 1
costing 285215
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 GL COCKRELL
P 1LT MOTE TERRY ALAN KIA
CE E4 RS FALKNER
G E4 EM SCHIEMAN
Accident Summary:
AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 HOURS 28 JUNE 1970, TWO UH1C AIRCRAFT FROM THE 189TH AVIATION COMPANY DEPARTED AS A FLIGHT FROM CAMP HOLLOWAY, RVN, ENROUTE TO DUC CO, RVN. THE FLIGHT TO DUC CO, AND A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AREA LASTED ONE HOUR. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT DUC CO WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTIES HAVING BEEN ENCOUNTERED DURING THE FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT REFUELED AND REMAINED ON THE GROUND ON STANDBY. AT 1730 HOURS 28 JUNE 1970 THEY WERE RELEASED FROM THEIR MISSION. IMMEDIATE AFTER THEIR RELEASE THE TWO HELICOPTERS DEPARTED THE DUC CO AIRFIELD AS A FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT 66-657 WAS AGAIN THE NUMBER TWO AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF FLYING IN THE LEFT WINGMANS POSITION. TAKE-OFF WAS ACCOMPLISHED FROM THE EAST END OF THE AIRFIELD USING RUNWAY 23. ON TAKE-OFF, WO1 COCKRELL STATED THAT THE ENGINE RPM DROPPED FROM 6600 TO 6400 RPM. THIS HOWEVER WAS QUICKLY REGAINED AS THE AIRCRAFT NED AS THE AIRCRAFT REACHED TRANSLATIONAL LIFT. AS THE AIRCRAFT REACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AT AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF FROM 50 TO 75 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT IN CHARGE INITIATED A LEFT TURN-OUT, BANKING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT IN A 5 TO 10 DEGREE BANK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEVELED IN A HEADING OF 210 DEGREES. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT NOTED THAT HIS ENGINE RPM HAD DECREASED TO 6000 RPM, AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEGUN TO SETTLE. HE IMMEDIATELY MADE A RADIO TRANSMISSION TO THE LEAD AIRCRAFT,"JOHN WE ARE GOING DOWN". WO COCKRELL IMMEDIATELY RETARDED THE THROTTLE AND REQUESTED THAT HIS CO-PILOT PLACE THE GOVERNOR SELECTOR SWITCH IN THE EMERGENCY POSITION, AS HE SUSPECTED THAT HE HAD A LOW SIDE GOVERNOR FAILURE. THE ENGINE RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND WAS INDICATING 5500 RPM, THE TORQUEMETER WAS INDICATING 34 TO 35 POUNDS. AFTER THE SELECTOR SWITCH WAS PLACED IN THE EMERGENCY POSITION THE DESCENT CONTINUED AND THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED THRU AN ALTITUDE OF 25 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE AIRSPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 55 KNOTS. NOTING THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND TO THE GOVERNOR AND THROTTLE WO COCKRELL INITIATED A CYCLIC FLARE, SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLYING COLLECTIVE PITCH TO CUSHION HIS LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND WITH APPROXIMATELY 45 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED. SKID MARKS AT THE SCENE INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE IMPACT WITH THE GROUND IN A SKIDS LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED IN A CLEARED AREA, HOWEVER THERE WERE SEVERAL STUMPS HIDDEN IN THE GRASS. AS THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED FORWARD, IT STRUCK SEVERAL OF THESE HIDDEN STUMPS CAUSING IT TO ROLL OVER SEVERAL TIMES COMING TO A STOP ON ITS LEFT SIDE, 200 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED AND CAME TO REST 100 FEET FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE COCKPIT WAS CRUSHED AND DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THE CREWCHIEF AND GUNNER WERE THROWN CLEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT. SP4 FALKNER, THE CREWCHIEF DID NOT HAVE HIS SEAT BELT FASTENED. THE PILOT IN CHARGE, WAS STILL IN HIS SEAT, HE RELEASED HIS SEAT BELT AND CLIMBED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CO-PILOT WAS PINNED IN HIS SEAT, UPSIDE DOWN, UNTIL RESCUE WORKERS ARRIVED. RESCUE WORKERS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY AND PROCEEDED TO EVACUATE ALL THE CASUALTIES. WO COCKRELL STATES THAT AFTER HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, HE NOTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING VERY SLOWLY AND CONTINUED TO DO SO FOR A FEW MINUTES. JP-4 FUEL FROM THE TANKS HAD SPRAYED ALL OVER THE WRECKAGE HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT BURN. AT 1830 HOURS CAPTAIN MISUREK, THE 52D BN SAFETY OFFICER ARRIVED AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH ALONG WITH CAPTAIN JOHN SCHACHLEITER, ASST S-3 52D AVN BN. THESE OFFICERS SECURED THE WRECKAGE AND TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CRASH. GROUND FORCES WERE BROUGHT INTO THE AREA AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SECURED FOR THE NIGHT. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT PILOTED BY WO1 JOHN HATTON HEARD THE DISTRESS CALL ON HIS RADIO AND IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A LEFT TURN, HE WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE HIS WINGMAN CRASH IN A SKIDS LEVEL ATTITUDE, SLIDE FORWARD, AND THEN ROLL OVER SEVERAL TIMES. WO HATTON MADE ANOTHER DISTRESS CALL AND LANDED TO RENDER ASSISTANCE.\\
This record was last updated on 02/10/2003
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