Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 69-16067
The Army purchased this helicopter 0970
Total flight hours at this point: 00000388
Date: 02/26/1971 MIA-POW file reference number: 1709
Incident number: 71022626.KIA
Unit: B/1/9 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0060 feet and 050 knots.
Classified
UTM grid coordinates: WU915264 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PWU915264)
Helicopter took 4 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 DOI . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense
Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database.
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 1709, LNNF,
CASRP (Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
OB SSG HARRISON LARRY GENE KIA
P CPT SWANSON JON EDWARD KIA
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: Jon Swanson was the pilot of an OH6A with Larry Harrison as observer
on a visual reconnaissance mission, while providing close air support to an
ambushed ARVN convoy in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia.
When the aircraft was flying at a low altitude marking enemy positions, it came
under fire from two machine guns and was seen to burst into flames and crash.
Another helicopter landed near the site, but was forced to take off when it
came under heavy enemy fire. Repeated attempts by both ARVN ground troops and
U.S. helicopters to reach the downed helicopter were thwarted by enemy fire.
On February 27, U.S. helicopters returned to the area and saw what they
believed to be two remains near the crash site. As late as March 7, the remains
were observed near the crash site, but could not be recovered due to enemy fire.
It was a common practice for communist troops to leave "bait" to lure other
aircraft hoping to rescue downed aircrews into a hostile area. Because of the
enemy presence in the area of the downed aircraft, it is possible that the
bodies of Swanson and Harrison were used in this manner.
This record was last updated on 12/09/2010
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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