Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-58A tail number 68-16938
The Army purchased this helicopter 0470
Total flight hours at this point: 00001095
Date: 06/09/1972
Incident number: 720609161ACD Accident case number: 720609161 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 201 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Nha Trang in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 3 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing 240161
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 1LT DOUGHTIE RONALD EDWARD KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
CIV VANN JP, NOT, A
UNK UNK, MCO, G
CPT ROBERTSON ROBERT ALLAN, AR, PX, KIA
Accident Summary:
ON 9 JUNE 1972 THE CITY OF KONTUM WAS OFFICIALLY DECLARED AS SAFE AND CLEARED OF ALL NVA ELEMENTS. IT WAS A GREAT VICTORY FOR BOTH THE ARVN AND ^MR. VANN, SENIOR ADVISOR FOR II CORPS.^ IT WAS ALSO THE DEPARTURE DATE FOR ^BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN HILL, DEPUTY SENIOR ADVISOR^ TO^ II CORPS^. ^MR. VANN^ WAS IN SAIGON THAT MORNING AND SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO PLEIKU THAT EVENING TO ATTEND A PARTY CELEBRATING BOTH THE VICTORY AND ^BRIG. GEN. HILL AND MRS. HILL'S^ DEPARTURE FROM THE RVN. AFTER SEVERAL TOASTS ^MR. VANN^ ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DEPART PLEIKU TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN KONTUM. HAVING VISITED THE TROOPS IN KONTUM EVERY DAY DURING THE BATTLE HE DID NOT WANT TO FORGET THEM ON THE EVE OF THEIR GREAT VICTORY. THE CREW HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, ^LT. DOUGHTIE, THE PILOT^, WAS STANDING BY THE OH-58 ^(68-16938)^ AT THE TEAM 21 HELIPAD. ^CPT ROBERTSON^, A PASSENGER FROM PLEIKU INSTALLATION COORDINATOR'S OFFICE WAS ALSO GOING ALONG FOR THE RIDE. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS PREPARED OR FILED WITH ANY KNOWN AGENCY. ^LT. DOUGHTIE^ DID KNOW THAT THE WEATHER ENROUTE WAS MARGINAL HAVING COMMENTED ON THE FACT TO ^CPT SCHWARTZ, USAF^ PILOT ASSIGNED TO ^SRAG.^ THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PLEIKU AT APPROXIMATELY 2050 HOURS AND DID NOT ESTABLISH FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH ANY KNOWN FACILITY. AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 HOURS ^ MR. VANN^ CONTACTED THE ADVISORS AT KONTUM AND SAID HE EXPECTED TO LAND THERE IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THERE IS NOT MUCH KNOWN FROM THIS POINT ON, NO DISTRESS CALL WAS HEARD BY ANY OF THE AIRCRRAFT OPERATING IN THE VICINITY. AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 HOURS IT WAS REPORTED BY TASK FORCE 14, CLEARING THE HIGHWAY TO KONTUM, THAT A LOH HAD POSSIBLY CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF QL14. A CHECK WAS CONDUCTED BY ^17TH GROUP^ OF ALL UNITS HAVING LOH AIRCRAFT, NONE WERE FLYING. A CHECK WAS MADE WITH ^SRAG AND MR. VANN'S^ AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED OUT. A SAR PACKAGE OF A C&C AIRCRAFT, A LIGHTSHIP AND A LIGHTFIRE TEAM WERE LAUNCHED IN ADDITION TO AN OV-10 FAC. USAF SAR WAS NOTIFIED AND A C-130 (KING) WAS DIVERTED TO THE SCENE. AERIAL FLARES PROVED INEFFECTIVE DUE TO THE HEAVY TREES AND THE LIGHTSHIP WAS PUT DOWN TO LOOK FOR FIRES AND WRECKAGE. AN AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE WAS LOCATED IN A STAND OF TREES AND ARVN SOLDIERS VECTORED TO THE CRASH SITE. ^MR. VANN^, WHOSE BODY HAD BEEN THROWN CLEAR OF THE WRECKAGE WAS PUT ON BOARD THE C&C AIRCRAFT AND FLOWN TO THE ^67TH EVAC HOSPITAL^. THE OTHER BODIES WERE RECOVERED THE NEXT MORNING.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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