Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 69-15987
This record was last updated on 04/19/2017
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Date posted on this site:
08/17/2025
Copyright © 1998 - 2025 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
The Army purchased this helicopter 0270
Total flight hours at this point: 00000660
Date: 10/19/1970
Incident number: 70101919.KIA
Unit: C/1/9 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at 0100 feet and 040 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 15 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: FUEL SYS, PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 KIA . .
The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Aircraft was capable of one time flight.
The aircraft was diverted or delayed after completing some mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: LNNF, JSIDR,
CASRP, HUGHS, FM385 (Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report.
Casualty Report. )
Crew Members:
OB CPL BRYANT DAVID EUGENE KIA
P WO1 VESTAL RONALD E
G PARKER LARRY
War Story:
David Bryant and Larry Parker came to me the night before because Bryant wanted to fly to do something for his good friend Rae Bailey (killed that day with Cahill and Strait -MIA). I told Bryant he could not fly, "the area was too hot". I posted flight crews for 987 along with the other birds in TOC. I scheduled myself with Capt. Beyer for First Light. Larry Parker, and Barney Vestal, with someone else (don't remember who I actually scheduled) were scheduled to lift off a little later. David Bryant wanted to do something to help his friend Bailey. And David Bryant died trying to help Bailey. I have no doubt Barney Vestal had nothing to do with giving Bryant permission for this swap of crewmen. As I recall, Bryant was actually from the Lift Platoon. When the downbird call went out (we were near by), Capt. Beyer asked me who was hit and I told him the name of the guy I had scheduled to fly. Shortly, later, we learned it was Bryant.
Bryant also had a camera with him. I spent hours with it and Q-tips trying to salvage it. It could not be saved because there were parts of Bryant still attached, even inside. I conferred with Top and we disposed of the camera without sending it home. I'm glad I talked with Top first because about a month later we received a complaint from the family about stealing Bryant's new camera. I don't know how Top or our CO dealt with the family on this but I heard nothing more about it.
Again, Barney Vestal did nothing wrong here.
From: Gary Pope