Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 69-16024
The Army purchased this helicopter 0470
Total flight hours at this point: 00000615
Date: 12/24/1970
Incident number: 701224091ACD Accident case number: 701224091 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: C/1/9 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Bien Hoa in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YT019423 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PYT019423)
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 1
costing 154221
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 O2 AH HARMON
AC WO1 BUCHANAN JOHN GARY KIA
G E4 GR CAMERON
Passengers and/or other participants:
UNKNOWN, MS, G
Accident Summary:
THE CREW OF OH-6A, SN 69-16024 WAS ON A VISUAL RECONNAISSANCE MISSION UTILIZING A "WHITE TEAM" (TWO OH-6A'S) ON 24 DEC 70. AIRCRAFT 024 HAD BEEN DOWN FOR MAINTENANCE FOR 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPAIRED AND PUT UP AS MISSION READY. THE MORNING OF 24 DEC 70, WO1 SIPPLE, ANOTHER SCOUT PILOT ASSIGNED TO C TRP, 1/9 ACS HAD FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD MAINTENANCE DIFFICULTIES. WO1 SIPPLE STATED THAT AT A STABLE HOVER IN POL THE N2 RPM HAD BLED FROM 103% TO 80% N2. WO1 SIPPLE REFUELED THE AIRCRAFT AND RETURNED IT TO THE MAINTENANCE HANGAR. THE N1 % ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS DETERMINED TO BE TOO HIGH (68%). THE N1 % WAS ADJUSTED BACK TO 63% N1 AND THE AIRCRAFT RELEASED FOR FLIGHT. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THAT THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL OF C TRP, 1/9 ACS TOOK ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO THE WRITE UP OF WO1 SIPPLE ABOUT THE BLEED OFF OF N2 RPM. 1LT HARMON ACCEPTED THE AIRCRAFT FOR THE VISUAL RECONNAISSANCE MISSION. AFTER FLYING FOR ALMOST TWO HOURS 1LT HARMON WAS DESCENDING FROM ALTITUDE WHEN AT 150 FEET AGL, AS HE BEGAN TO APPLY COLLECTIVE PITCH HE NOTICED THE N2 RPM WAS DETERIORATING. LT HARMON APPLIED AFT CYCLIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN OPERATING RPM. THIS DID NOT WORK SO LT HARMON CONTINUED TO APPLY AFT CYCLIC IN ORDER TO STOP HIS FORWARD AIRSPEED RRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TREES. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT LT HARMON DID NOT MAKE A MAYDAY CALL TO HIS HIGH BIRD. FROM THIS POINT ON LT HARMON HAS NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO THE AIRCRAFT EXCEPT THAT IT CRASHED. FROM WITNESSES THAT WENT ON THE GROUND AFTER THE ACCIDENT IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING GENERALLY SOUGH, SOUTHEAST WHEN IT FIRST CONTACTED A TREE NINETY FEET NORTHWEST OF ITS FINAL RESTING PLACE. IT IS FURTHER ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A TAIL LOW ATTITUDE AND THEN BOUNCED AND CAME TO REST POINTING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION.\\
This record was last updated on 12/01/2000
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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