Helicopter UH-1H 69-15287


Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 69-15287
The Army purchased this helicopter 0470
Total flight hours at this point: 00000159
Date: 08/23/1970
Incident number: 700823021ACD Accident case number: 700823021 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 282 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Da Nang in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 1
costing 350145
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. )
Summary: Ground impact approximately 4 KM East-Northeast of the An Hoa Air Field.
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC W2 RL LEACH
P WO1 PHILLIPS JOHN DAVID KIA
CE E5 R KALIHER
G SP4 SIMES ROBERT GARLAND JR KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
O2 HJ FITZSIMMONS, PAX, D


Accident Summary:

 AT 0955 HOURS, 23 AUGUST 1970 AIRCRAFT ^UH-1H,69-15287^ DEPARTED ^AN HOA AIRFIELD^ ON A HEADING OF 90, LOW LEVEL (20 FEET AGL), ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE MAIN ROAD OUT OF AN HOA.\\ STATIONED AT ^LZ FARMER HILL^, WHERE THE ROAD MAKES A 90 TURN TO THE NORTH. THE TERRAIN IN THE AREA IS ROLLING AND HAS SEVERAL RICE PADDIES.\\ THE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE UH-1H WAS COMING DOWN THE ROAD AT A LOW LEVEL, PASSED OVER THE LZ AND MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN (45-60). AS THE AIRCRAFT BANKED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE GROUND FOUR TIMES ACROSS THE TOP OF A SLIGHT RISE IN THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED INVERTED AND CONTACTED THE GROUND ROTOR HEAD FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT SLID FOR APPROXIMATELY 85 FEET, SEPARATING THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE FUSELAGE AND ENGINE. THE BLADE STRIKE MARKS IN THE GROUND WERE APPROXIMATELY 15-20 FEET APART. THE FIRST STRIKE MARK WAS APPROXIMATELY TWO INCHES DEEP, THE SECOND STRIKE MARK THREE TO THREE AND ONE-HALF INCHES DEEP AND THE THIRD STRIKE MARK FOUR TO FOUR AND ONE-HALF INCHES DEEP. THE FOURTH BLADE STRIKE MARK WAS APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES DEEP. AFTER THE INITIAL STRIKE OF THE FUSELAGE THE TAIL BOOM BROKE AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT, TURNED 180 AND SLID UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AND PILOT WERE THROWN OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT IN THEIR SEATS. THE GUNNER AND CREWCHIEF REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PASSENGER WAS THROWN OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE.\\

This record was last updated on 06/13/2022


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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