Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16283
The Army purchased this helicopter 0467
Total flight hours at this point: 00002171
Date: 07/29/1970
Incident number: 700729121ACD Accident case number: 700729121 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 175 AHC
South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 0
costing 298304
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 W1 JN MILLER
P CW2 EMCH JAMES KENNETH KIA
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT ^66-16283^ DEPARTED VINH LONG ARMY AIRFIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 1015 HOURS ENROUTE TO DONG TAM. UPON ARRIVAL AT DONG TAM A PASSENGER, ^WO1 DANIEL L. GREVE^, WAS LET OFF TO AWAIT HIS TURN FOR A 90-DAY STANDARDIZATION CHECK RIDE. ^WO1 MILLER^, THE FIRST ONE OF THE TWO PILOTS UP FOR A CHECK RIDE, DEPARTED THE RAMP AREA WITH ^CW2 EMCH^ ON BOARD AS THE IP. DURING THE CHECK RIDE THE FOLLOWING SERIES OF MANEUVERS WERE DEMONSTRATED AND PRACTICED: 3 STRAIGHT-IN AUTOROTATIONS ON THE NORTH-SOUTH RUNWAY, THEN 2 LOW-LEVEL AUTOROTATIONS. THE LAST MANEUVER OVER THE FIELD WAS A SIMULATED HYDRAULIC FAILURE. UPON COMPLETION OF THIS MANEUVER THE IP LEFT THE PATTERN AND FLEW A MILE OR TWO WEST OF THE FIELD WHERE STANDARD POWER OFF MANEUVERS WERE PERFORMED. INCLUDED IN THESE MANEUVERS WERE OTHER POWER OFF DEMONSTRATIONS SUCH AS "WHEN YOU LOSE POWER YOU LEAVE PITCH IN TO EXTEND GLIDE AND HOW DIFFERENT AIRSPEEDS WILL INCREASE OR DECREASE YOUR RATE OF DESCENT AND YOUR RATE OF GLIDE." (QUOTE FROM PILOT; TAB D) AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS INSTRUCTOR WAS DEMONSTRATING LOW ALTITUDE ENGINE FAILURE FROM 20 FEET ALTITUDES AND AN 80 KNOT ENTRY SPEED. THE THROTTLE WAS ROLLED OFF, A FLARE INITIATED WITH FIXED PITCH TO GAIN AN ALTITUDE OF FIFTY FEET WHERE UPON PITCH WAS THEN LOWERED. THIS WAS THE LAST RECOLLECTION OF EVENTS UNTIL THE PILOT REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER THE ACCIDENTAND REACHED OVER TO TURN OFF THE FUEL SWITCH.\\ THE AIRCRAFT EMPACTED IN A NOSE LOW ALTITUDE IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD DIRECTION IN A LEVEL RICE PADDY. IT SKIDDED ABOUT 20 FEET, HIT A 3-FOOT MUD DIKE, PLOWED THROUGH IT, AND CAME TO REST AT APPROXIMATELY A 35 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE DIKE WITH THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR WITHOUT APPARENT VISUAL DAMAGE (TAB E AND 9). THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CATCH FIRE. THE PILOT SITTING IN THE RIGHT SEAT LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AND WALKED AROUND THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO THE LEFT SIDE. HE REMOVED THE THEN LIFELESS BODY OF THE IP. THE TWO PILOTS WERE EVACUATED BY A PASSING AIRCRAFT TO ^TAN AN MEDICAL DISPENSARY.^ FROM THERE A MEDIVAC HELICOPTER TOOK THE PILOT TO THE ^93RD EVACUATION HOSPITAL^ AND TOOK THE IP TO THE MORQUE AT TAN SON NHUT AIRPORT.\\
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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