Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 66-15305
The Army purchased this helicopter 1167
Total flight hours at this point: 00001127
Date: 07/28/1970
Incident number: 700728191ACD Accident case number: 700728191 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/1/9 CAV
This was an Operational Loss caused by an accident by Accident with the mission function of Armed Helicopter (having primary weapon subsystems installed and utilized to provide direct fire support)
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Armed Recon
While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at UNK feet and UNK knots.
The station for this helicopter was Phu Vinh in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YT255572 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYT255572)
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 DOI . . Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
costing 593230
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center AVDAC database. Defense Intelligence Agency
Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Survivability/Vulnerability
Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, CRAFX, CASRP, CALTR (Operations
Report. Crash Facts Message. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was recovered
Crew Members:
P CW2 ZIMMERMAN DAVID ERVIN KIA
P WO1 FRYE KEVIN MARK KIA
Accident Summary:
THE CREW OF AH-1G, ^SN: 66-15305^ WAS ON A VISUAL RECONAISSANCE MISSION ON 28 JULY 1970, WHEN IT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE AT YT262568. THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED HIS INITIAL DIFFICULTIES BY TWICE CALLING "GOING DOWN" TO AN ACCOMPANING LOH THAT WAS FLYING RECON AT TREE TOP LEVEL IN THE SAME AREA. THE LOH IMMEDIATELY CLIMBED TO ALTITUDE TO RELAY THE MESSAGE TO C TRP OPERATIONS AND TO FOLLOW THE AH-1G DOWN. THE AH-1G, ESTIMATED TO BE AT 2000 FEET AND APPROXIMATELY 2 KILOMETERS NORTH-NORTHWEST OF A LARGE OPERN FIELD, APPEARED TO BE IN A NORMAL AUTOROTATIVE GLIDE AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET INDICATED AT WHICH TIME THE LOH'S ALTITUDE SURPASSED THAT OF THE DESCENDING AH-1G. THE LOH PILOT MONITORED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AS WAS CALLED OFF BY THE AH-1G AFTER THEIR INITIAL TRANSMISSION. THE GUNNER ASKED THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER IF HE WANTED THE FUEL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS TURNED OFF TO WHICH THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER REPLIED "YES= THOUGH THERE IS NO MEANS OF SHUTTING FUEL OFF FROM THE FORWARD COMPARTMENT OF THE AH-1G AIRCRAFT. WHILE STILL OVER THE TREES THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO ASSUME A RADICAL DECELERATING ATTITUDE WITH A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF AIRSPEED AND ROTOR RPM. THE AIRCRAFT'S MOMENTUM CARRIED IT JUST CLEAR OF THE TREES WHERE IT SETTLED VERTICALLY WITH ZERO AIRSPEED AND ROTOR RPM.\\
This record was last updated on 04/15/2004
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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