Helicopter UH-1C 65-09563


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 65-09563
The Army purchased this helicopter 0566
Total flight hours at this point: 00001208
Date: 07/11/1970
Incident number: 700711071ACD Accident case number: 700711071 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 176 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT121134 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBT121134)
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 0
costing 330215
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 W2 WJ HORVAY
P WO1 DUNNAVANT JAMES M JR INJ
CE E3 AB COMMANDER
G SP4 YEAGER LARRY GENE KIA


Accident Summary:

 ON THE MORNING OF 11 JULY 1970 AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 HOURS GUNSHIP 563 DEPARTED CHU LAI ON A 2:45 CRANE (CH-54) ESCORT MISSION. THEIR SECOND MISSION OF THE DAY, ALSO A CRANE ESCORT, BEGAN AT 1300 HOURS AND TERMINATED AT TIEN PHOUC AIRFIELD AT 1415 HOURS. THEY REFUELED AND AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HOURS, THE FULLY ARMED AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TIEN PHOUC POL WITH APPROXIMATELY 1100 POUNDS OF FUEL. ITS MISSION WAS TO CLIMB TO ALTITUDE, ESTALBISH RADIO CONTACT WITH ^176 AHC^ OPERATIONS AND REQUEST MAINTENACE FOR HIS LEAD GUNSHIP. ^WO1 DUNNAVANT^ HOVERED FROM POL TO A POINT ON RUNWAY 33 THAT ALLOWED HIM USE OF APPROXIMATELY 1/3 ITS LENGTH. HE ENCOUNTERED RPM LOSS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE HOVERING, WHICH CAUSED HIM TO INIATE A TAKE-OFF FROM THE GROUND, SLIDING ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE GAINING TRANSLATIONAL LIFT. THE ENGINE RPM THROUGHTOUT THE TAKE-OFF WAS AT 6000. (TAB D) AT 30 KNOTS AIRSPEED, 6000 RPM, AND MIDWAY DOWN THE PORTION OF THE RUNWAY BEING USED, ^CW2 HORVEY^ TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO PREVENT THE PILOT FROM LOSING AIRSPEED. (TAB D) THE AIRCRAFT CLEARED THE INITIAL TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. (SEE PHOTO TAB 9) WHILE STILL OVER THE TREES AND ATTEMPTING TO GAIN MORE AIRSPEED, RPM BEGAN DECREASING BELOW 6000. (SEE TAB D) THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROACHING 50 KNOTS WHEN THE PILOT INFORMED ^CW2 HORVEY^ THAT THE RPM WAS PASSING THROUGH 5800, AND APPROACHING 5600. ^CW2 HORVEY^ INITIATED A DECELERATION BUT RPM DID NOT INCREASE AND COLLECTIVE PITCH HAD TO BE APPLIED TO RETAIN ALTITUDE OVER THE TREES. WITH AIRSPEED AND RPM DECREASING THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE. IN ATTEMPTING TO REACH A CLEAR AREA WITH RPM STILL DECREASING, HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT ENOUGH TO EFFECT AVOIDANCE OF A TREE. THE ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE TREE AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE A NEAR VERTICAL CRASH LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AND CREW CHIEF WERE ABLE TO FREE THEMSELVES FROM THE AIRCRAFT AS IT BEGAN TO BURN. THE CRASH OCCURED OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER OF THE TIEN PHUOC SPECIAL FORCES CAMP, APPROXIMATELY 200 METERS OFF THE NORTHWEST END OF THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES FROM THE CAMP GAVE ACCOUNTS OF THE CRASH AND ITS AFTERMATH. (SEE TAB D) THE TRAPPED PILOT WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BURNING AIRCRAFT BY SPECIAL FORCES PERSONNEL. THE GUNNER, ^SP4 YEAGER^ COULD NOT BE SAVED.\\

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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