Helicopter CH-47C 67-18518


Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47C tail number 67-18518
The Army purchased this helicopter 0568
Total flight hours at this point: 00000757
Date: 03/05/1971
Incident number: 710305101ACD Accident case number: 710305101 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 180 ASHC
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Tuy Hoa in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BR928208 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PBR928208)
Number killed in accident = 6 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing 1931161
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 CPT STRAW BARRY MERCER KIA
P CPT WARD RALPH LELAND KIA
CE SP5 PRENTICE GARY GALE KIA
G SP4 RAYBURN EDWARD LEE KIA
C SP5 DENNISON RICHARD SAMUEL KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
UNKNOWN, LCO, G
X2 HO LC, , PX, KIA
LECHANG MD, PAX, G


Accident Summary:

 ON MARCH 5 AT APPROXIMATELY 1340 HOURS A ^MID AIR^COLLISION TOOK PACE BETWEEN A ^CH-47C^ AND A ^ROKA O-1D.^ THE O-1D TOOK OFF TO THE NORTH FROM TIGER STRIP. BR 948208, AND MADE A LEFT TURN AND FLEW OVER LANE ARMY AIRFIELD APPROXIMATELY FIVE (5) MINUTES BEFORE THE CRASH: SEE STATEMENTS ONE(1) AND TWO (2). THE O-1D FLEW SOUTH AND THROUGH A PASS WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND WAS IN A LEFT DESCENDING TURN LOOKING FOR RED SMOKE; SEE STATEMENTS THREE(3) AND FOUR(4). THE CH-47C TOOK OFF FROM 3RD BATTALION CAVALRY REGIMENT AND WAS DUE AT THE RECON PAD AT 1345 SEE STATEMENT ONE (1). AT 1335 THE CH-47C CALLED ^LT. GOODMAN^ THE ROKA LIAISON OFFICER, ON FM FIVE (5) MINUTES OUT FROM THE RECON PAD. THE CH-47C ALSO CALLED LANE TOWER FIVE (5) MILES SOUTHWEST FOR LANDING. THE TOWER HAVE THE WIND 100 AT 5. AT THE SAME TIME LUCKY 660 CALLED QSY TO LANE TOWER AND ^BIG WINDY 518^ REQUESTED THAT THE TOWER ALLOW HIM TO TALK TO LUCK 660 AND THE TOWER APPROVED IT. BIG WINDY 26 ASKED LUCKY 42 TO THANK LUCKY 44 FOR SOME KILLS HE GOT THE OTHER DAY; SEE STATEMENTS EIGHT (8) AND NONE (9). AT 1340 A MID AIR BETWEEN THE CH-47C AND THE O-1D TOOK PACE AT BR934209. THE O-1D CONTACTED THE LEFT REAR CENTER OF THE CH47 ON A 45 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE FLIGHT PATH ON A SLIGHT DEGREE OF DESCENT WHILE IN A LEFT DESCENDING TURN; SEE STATEMENTS THREE(3), FOUR (4) AND SIX (6). THE IMPACT KNOCKED THE LEFT ENGINE OFF THE CH47C AND RUPTURED THE FUEL CELL ANDTHE CH-47C CAUGHT FIRE. THE CH-47C AFT ROTOR BLADE TORE THE RIGHT WING ANDTHE ENGINE OFF THE O-1D; SEE STATEMENT FOUR(4), PICTURE A DIAGRAM. THE O-1D DROPPED DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CH-47C AND FLIPPED OVER AND FELL STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND IMPACTING INVERTED FACING WEST AT BR 934109; SEE STATEMENT FOUR (4). ON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND THE O-1D EXPLODED AND BURNED; SEE STATEMENT FIVE(5) AND PICTURE B. THE CH-47C BLADES LOST SYNCHRONIZATION AND MESHED DUE TO LOSS OF BLADES WHEN THE O-1D IMPACTED THE CH-47C; SEE DIAGRAMS AND PICTURE TAB 9. AS THE CH-47 DESCENDED IN FLAMES A PORTION OF THE AFT PYLON WITH THE AFT VERTICAL SHAFT BROKE OFF AND UMPACTED THE GROUND AT THE UPPER PORTION OF THE CRASH SITE. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT THE LOWERRIGHT CENTER OF THE CRASH SITE IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE WITH THE CO-PILOT CHIN BUBBLE IMPALING ON A STUMP, HEADING 140 DEGEEES; SEE STATEMENT SEVEN (7) PICTURE I, AT WHICH TIME THE RAMP AREA BROKE OFF AT STATION 160 AND BURNED; SEE DIAGRAM FOUR (4) AND PICTURE H. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SLIDE DOWN THE HILL UNTIL ITS MOVEMENT WAS STOPPED BY ROCKS. THE MOMENTUM CAUSED THE FORWARD CABIN SECTION AND MAIN FUSELAGE TO SEPARATE AT STATION 482: SEE DIAGRAM D AND PICTURE I. THE FORWARD TRANSMISSION WITH THE ROTOR LOSE AND CONTINUEDTO SLIDE DUE TO MONEMTUM AND CAME TO TEST AT THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CRASH SITE; SEE DIAGRAM 4 AND PICTURE G. THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.\\

This record was last updated on 11/16/2004


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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023


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