Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17840
The Army purchased this helicopter 1068
Total flight hours at this point: 00001339
Date: 11/24/1970
Incident number: 701124211ACD Accident case number: 701124211 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: F/8 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in
UTM grid coordinates: BT523095 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBT523095)
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 0
costing 149480
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC CW2 SAITO SAMUEL RYOICHI KIA
P O2 MO ISON
CE E5 BP SCHULTZ
G E3 RA MARSCH
Accident Summary:
ON 24 NOV 1970, AIRCRAFT 840 DEPARTED CHU LAI WEST AAF ON A NIGHT HAWK MISSION. THE MISSION SHEETS HAD TO BE PICKED UP AT THE DIVISION ADMIN PAD PRIOR TO COMMENCING THE MISSION. IT WAS DECIDED THAT WO1 SAITO WOULD FLY TO THE ADMIN PAD AND PICK UP THE NIGHT HAWK MISSION SHEETS. AIRCRAFT 840 TOOK OFF CHU LAI WEST AAF AT APPROXIMATELY 2010 HOURS, AN APPROACH WAS MADE TO THE ADMIN PAD ON A HEADING OF 320 DEGREES. THE MISSION SHEETS WERE PICKED UP AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERED TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE ADMIN PAD FOR A 32 DEPARTURE. WO1 SAITO WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT, A HOVER CHECK WAS COMPLETED PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. THE INSTRUMENTS INDICATED 35 LBS. OF TORQUE, 94.5% N1, 540 DEGREES EGT AND RPM 6600. THE READINGS WERE NORMAL AND WELL WITHIN LIMITS FOR A NORMAL TAKE OFF. A NORMAL TAKE OFF WAS MADE ON A HEADING OF 320 DEGREES. OBSTACLES ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE ADMIN PAD WERE CLEARED AND THE SEARCH LIGHT WAS TURNED OFF. AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD BY THE CREW, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN EXPLOSION. THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE LEFT AND POWER WAS LOST. THE COLLECTIVE PITCH WAS LOWERED AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS PERFORMED. FROM ALL INDICATIONS PROPER TECHNIQUE WAS USED DURING THE AUTOROTATION AND LANDING. DUE TO THE DOWNHILL SLOPE OF THE TERRAIN DEPTH PERCEPTION COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED HARD, COLLAPSING THE SKIDS AND SLIDING ON THE UNDERSIDE FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 METERS, COMING TO A STOP AT THE EDGE OF A LARGE DRAINAGE DITCH. THE LANDING RESULTED IN MINOR INJURIES TO THE GUNNER AND SCOPE OPERATOR. THE AC, WO1 SAITO SUSTAINED FATAL HEAD INJURIES FROM ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. 1LT ISON ORGANIZED THE CREW AND EXTINGUISHED THE SMALL FIRE THAT WAS BURNING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AREA. CRASH AND RESCUE UNITS WERE NOTIFIED BY 1LT ISON USING THE AIRCRAFT RADIOS. DUST/OFF EVACUATED THE REMAINS OF WO1 SAITO AND THE ENLISTED CREW MEMBERS, TO THE 91ST EVAC HOSPITAL. 1LT ISON WAS EXAMIMINED BY THE 123D AVIATION BATTALION SURGEON AND RELEASED, AS WERE THE ENLISTED CREW MEMBERS.\\
This record was last updated on 07/16/2008
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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