Helicopter AH-1G 67-15519


Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 67-15519
The Army purchased this helicopter 0268
Total flight hours at this point: 00001729
Date: 08/01/1970
Incident number: 700801111ACD Accident case number: 700801111 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/2/20 ARA 1 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)
The station for this helicopter was Phu Vinh in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT928478 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXT928478)
Casualties = YES . . Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
Search and rescue operations were Not Required
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. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was not recovered

Crew Members:
P CPT KRAXNER FRANK IMRE KIA
P 2LT CAPLAN DAVID LEON KIA


Accident Summary:

 THE CREW OF AH-1G, SN ^67-15519^, WAS ON A NIGHT COVER MISSION OVER A LOW-FLYING UH-1H EQUIPPED WITH A XENON SEARCHLIGHT. THE AH-1G, SN ^67-15519^, WAS ASSIGNED TO THE NIGHT COVER MISSION AND SCRAMBLED ABOUT 2000 HOURS ON 1 AUG 70. ITS MISSION WAS TO PROVIDE OVERHEAD COVER FOR THE LOW-FLYING UH-1H. THE UH-1H PRIMARY MISSION WAS TO SEARCH VIA SEARCHLIGHT FOR ANY UNUSUAL ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF THE PHUOC VINH BASE CAMP. THE CEILING CONSIDERED USUABLE BY THE PILOTS WAS 1000 TO 1200 FEET ON THE AIRCRAFT ALTIMETERS, OR APPROX. 800 TO 1000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL BECAUSE OF THE ABOVE SEA-LEVEL ALTITUDE OF THE PHUOC VINH AREA. THE UH-1H WAS MANUEVERING AROUND AN AREA THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED TO HAVE SUSPECT VEHICLE ACTIVITY DURING THE DAY. THE AH-1G WAS FLYING JUST UNDER THE DESCRIBED CLOUD CEILING. THE UH-1H REQUESTED THE AH-1G EXPEND SEVERAL 10 POUND ROCKETS INTO A BAMBOO THICKET SO AS TO CLEAR THE AREA FOR OBSERVATION. THE AH-1G AGREED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST AND BEGAN SEVERAL ROCKET FIRING PASSES INTO THE MARKED AREA. THE TARGET WAS ATTACKED FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AND EACH TIME THE UH-1H RETURNED TO THE TARGET AREA AND COMPLETED VISUAL OBSERVATIONS. ON THE RUN THE UH-1H MARKED THE TARGET WITH A 40MM FLARE AND DEPARTED THE AREA. THE AH-1G, FROM AN ALTITUDE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 800 TO 1000 FEET, COMMENCED ITS FINAL DIVE INTO A GENERALLY SOUTH TO NORTH DIRECTION. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED DOWN ITS DIVE ANGLE PATH, FIRING THREE PAIR OF ROCKETS AND THEN A FOURTH PAIR. THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME WAS AT AN EXTREMELY LOW ALTITUDE ABOVE THE GROUND. AFTER THE LAST PAIR OF ROCKETS WERE FIRED, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A LEFT TURN, TOWARD THE NORTHWEST, TO PULL OUT OF THE FIRING PASS DIVE. APPARENTLY THE PULL OUT PROCEDURE WAS BEGUN TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND, AS THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN LEVEL, LEFT SIDE LOW, ALTITUDE. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE APPARENTLY STRUCK THE GROUND OR A TREE TO THE LEFT OF THE IMPACT POINT, SEVERING IT. ANOTHER TREE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY SEVERED THE RIGHT SKID AND THE VERTICAL FIN FROM THE TAIL BOOM. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A STRAIGHT LINE DIRECTION AND PORTIONS OF IT CAME TO REST DIRECTLY DOWN THE AVENUE OF IMPACT. THE INITIAL CONTACT POINT CONSISTED OF A 15 FOOT TRENCH DUG ABOUT 12 INCHES DEEP. THE TRENCH WAS STRAIGHT AND ALL WRECKAGE LAY IN THE SAME DIRECTION, ON AN APPROX. AXIS OF 285 DEG.\\

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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