Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-00636
The Army purchased this helicopter 1066
Total flight hours at this point: 00001858
Date: 10/07/1971
Incident number: 711007101ACD Accident case number: 711007101 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 134 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Tuy Hoa in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: CQ211358 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 49PCQ211358)
Number killed in accident = 3 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 2
costing 448658
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 MCGLONE GERALD FIELD KIA
OB SP5 PAGE ADDISON WILLIAM JR KIA
TO SP4 PEREZ-VERDEJA RAFAEL KIA
Accident Summary:
AT APPROXIMATELY 1530 HOURS ON 7 OCT 71, ^CPT MCGLONE^ AND ^SP/5 PAGE^ BEGAN PREPARATIONS TO TAKE A UH-1M HELICOPTER, ^SN: 66-00636^ ON A LOCAL TEST FLIGHT. THE STATED PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO RE-CHECK A PREVIOUS PILOT'S OPINION THAT A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION HAD BEEN ELIMINATED. ^CPT MCGLONE'S^ PREFLIGHT ACTIVITIES DID NOT INCLUDE THE FILING OF A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PRE-FLIGHT AND RUN-UP OF THE AIRCRAFT PROCEDED NORMALLY UNTIL JUST PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF WHEN ^SP/4 PEREZ^ APPROACHED THE AIRCRAFT AND CLIMBED ABOARD, APPARENTLY JUST FOR THE RIDE. ALL THIS TOOK PLACE AT 1610 HOURS, AT WHICH TIME '00636^ WAS CLEARED FOR TAKE-OFF FROM TUY HOA ARMY AIRFIELD. ^CPT MCGLONE^ PROCEDED SOUTH TOWARD PHU HIEP, RVN, AN ABANDONED AIRFIELD USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR LOCAL TEST FLIGHTS. HE MADE AT LEAST TWO TRIPS AROUND THE AIRFIELD, ENCOUNTERED AN UNDETERMINED IN-FLIGHT EMERGENCY, AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND. THIS RESULTED IN A CRASH AND FIRE. SMOKE FROM THIS FIRE WAS OBSERVED BY THE THAAF TOWER OPERATOR AND HE DIRECTED AN AIRCRAFT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO THE PHU HIEP AREA. UPON ARRIVAL THERE, THIS AIRCRAFT LOCATED THE BURNING WRECKAGE OF ^00636^ AND THE BODIES OF ^MCGLONE, PAGE, AND PEREZ.^ SOON THERE AFTER A CROWD BEGAN TO GATHER AROUND THE CRASH SITE. THE TIME WAS NOW 1645.\\
War Story:
I was assigned to the 134th after Lam Son 719. I was with the 238AWC and the unit stood down after being sent to 11Corps. I got to know Jerry fairly well. This is what I do know of what happened. He was doing a test flight after an engine change. (I think it was to convert a "C" model to an "M") . Perez was one of the best engine 67N20's in 11Corps, (he was also a short timer, but had helped with the engine change and wanted this to be his last "write off"). Jerry was doing a "topping check" when he lost an engine. He called a "may day" on "guard" and that was the last anyone heard. They did not tell us the official cause of the accident, but this is known; he impacted the ground at about an 80deg angle, in excess of 130k. They suspected the engine loss resulted in either the mast freezing or somehow the short shaft froze/failed. There was a memorial service in the base chapel for the crew. At that time Jerry was a Lt. He had a pending Article 15 because of a flight line party. (If you like I can tell you the story, believe me it's hillarious!) He was promoted to Capt. while he was in the coffin. (What do you expect, after all it was "NAM"). That is the best I can remember, but I do remember, Jerry was a good guy.
from Phil Hollar CW3 Demon 21 134 AHC '71, Planceh@aol.com, January 2001.
Charles T. Murray, SP5 at the time, adds the following: SP4 Perez was planning to take this flight and asked me to go along in advance of the scheduled flight. I declined. The accident report implies it was a last minute decision by Perez, but it was planned in advance by him. From: Charles T. Murray July 2022.
This record was last updated on 07/02/2022
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Date posted on this site:
11/13/2023
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