ON ^17 JANUARY 1969^ ARMY HELICOPTER, ^UH-1H, SN6717619^, WAS ON AN URGENT MEDICAL EVACUATION MISSION AT COORDINATES ^ AT074324^, 15 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF^TAM KY, RVN^. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, SITTING IN THE LEFT SEAT, WAS AT THE CONTROLS. THE WEATHER WAS MARGINAL, HOWEVER, DUE TO THE SERIOD CONDITION OF THE INJURED, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ELECTED TO PICK UP. ONE APPROACH HAD TO BE ABORTED DUE TO HEAVY GROUND FIRE ON THEIR APPROACH. AFTER SERIOUS CONSIDERATION ON THE PART OF THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, AND PILOT, THEY DECIDED TO APPROACH FROM A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. ON THE APPROACH IN, THE GROUND FLARES THAT WERE BEING USED AS A REFERENCE BURNED OUT. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER THEN CALLED FOR MORE FLARE, HOWEVER, THE GROUND UNIT FAILED TO COMPLY OR ELSE THE FLARE WAS A DUD. DURING THE LAPSE OF TIME, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER PERMITTED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND BELOW THE TREES. WHEN THE FLARES THAT THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER CALLED FOR DID'NT APPEAR, HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON HIS SEARCH LIGHT AND REALIZED THAT THEY WERE BELOW THE TREES. AFTER THE CREWMEMBERS REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED BY HITTING TREES WHEN THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER INITIATED A CLIMB OUT OF THE AREA, THEY RETURNED TO^LZ BALDY^. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED AND SLING-LIFTED TO ^RED BEACH, DA NANG BY CH-47^ FOR REPAIR.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17619
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0668
Total flight hours at this point:
00002049
Date: 07/27/70
Accident case number: 700727141
Unit: 190
AHC
The station for this helicopter was Bien Hoa in
Number killed in
accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 6650
Source(s)
from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center
database.
Crew Members:
P W1 DAVIS E
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT LOING INTO PZ, CREW HEARD LOUD NOISE AND PILOT DID A GO AROUND AND LANDED IN THE PZ. SHUT DOWN AND INSPECTED THE A/C. MAIN ROTOR BLADE TIPS WERE DISCOVEG TO BE DAMAGED.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17619
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0668
Total flight hours at this point:
00002619
Date: 08/04/71
Accident case number: 710804181 Total loss or
fatality Accident
Unit: A/7/1 CAV
South Vietnam
Number killed in
accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 244345
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 O3 HANNAH SA
CP X1 BU NV
CE E4
HARDIN PW
G E4 BURNS JF
Accident Summary:
ON 4 AUGUST 1971 ^CPT SHERRIL A HANNAH^ WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND AND VNAF ^2ND LT NGUYEN V BU^ WAS THE CO-PILOT OF AN AIRCRAFT ASSIGNED AN OPERATION OVERVIEW MISSION. THIS MISSION ENTAILS PICKING UP VILLAGE CHIEFS IN PREPSELECTED LOCATIONS AND GIVING THEM AN AERIAL VIEW OF THEIR VILLAGE, POINTING OUT BOUNDARIES AND OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST TO THE VILLAGE CHIEFS. ^CPT HANNAH^ AND ^LT BU^ PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 0630 HOURS THE MORNING OF THE 4TH AND DEPARTED VINH LONG ARMY AIRFIELD AT 0700 HOURS, ARRIVING AT CHAU DOC AT 0800 HOURS. AFTER BEING BRIEFED ON THEIR MISSION THEY DEPARTED CHAU DOC AND BEGAN PICKING UP VILLAGE CHIEFS IN THE VARIOUS VILLAGES IN THE TAN CHAU AREA AND GIVING THEM AN AERIAL VIEW OF THEIR VILLAGE. THEY HAD LUNCH AT CHAU DOC AND CHECKED THE AIRCRAFT FOR A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION THE PILOT HAD FELT EARLIER IN THE MORNING. AFTER INSPECTING THE AIRCRAFT AND FINDING NOTHING WRONG THEY DEPARTED CHAU DOC AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS FOR THE AFTERNOONS MISSIONS. THEY PICKED UP A VILLAGE CHIEF AT WS 205890 PERFORMED AN OVERVIEW MISSION THEN PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT VILLAGE AT WS 224946. ^LT BU^ MADE THE APPROACH INTO AN AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 100 METERS BY 200 METERS BESIDE AN ARVN COMPOUND. THE APPROACH WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND AN ADDITIONAL VILLAGE CHIEF WAS PICKED UP. AFTER VIEWING HIS VILLAGE THEY PROCEEDED TO WS 245945 TO PICK UP A THIRD VILLAGE CHIEF AND OVERVIEW HIS VILLAGE. THEN THEY RETURNED TO TAN CHAU TO DROP OFF A VILLAGE CHIEF. THE APPROACH WAS MADE GENERALLY TO THE SOUTHWEST INTO THE WIND AND WAS SOMEWHAT STEEPER THAN THE FIRST. ^LT BU^ WAS STILL FLYING THE AIRCRAFT. AS THE APPROACH WAS STEEPER, IT WAS TERMINATED FARTHER FORWARD IN THE LZ THAN THE FIRST APPROACH. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOWERED TO THE GROUND, THE CREWCHIEF INSTRUCTED ^LT BU^ TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT BACK IN ORDER TO CENTER THE SKIDS ON THE SMALL ROAD WHICH WAS THE INTENDED LANDING POINT. THE HEELS OF THE SKIDS TOUCHED DOWN AT THIS POINT. ^LT BU^ APPLIED COLLECTIVE AND AFT CYCLIC TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO AN EXTREMELY TAIL LOW ATTITUDE AND THE ENTIRE CREW HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. ALL CREW MEMBERS INDICATED THAT THEY THOUGHT THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK SOMETHING. ^LT BU^ APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT AND IT ROCKED FORWARD ON THE TOES OF THE SKIDS, HE APPLIED AFT CYCLIC TO COUNTERACT THIS AND THE TAIL AGAIN WENT EXTREMELY LOW FOLLOWED BY THE SAME GRINDING NOISE. AS HE APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC THE SECOND TIME ^CPT HANNAH^ TOOK THE CONTROLS. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN EXTREME RIGHT NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. ^CPT HANNAH^ APPLIED COLLECTIVE AND AFT CYCLIC TO LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN 180 DEGREES APPROXIMATELY, WITH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRIKING THE GROUND AT SOME POINT IN ITS ARC. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED HEAVILY ON THE TOE OF THE RIGHT SKID AND ON THE RIGHT CHIN BUBBLE BEFORE IMPACTING QUITE HARD IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE WITH THE GROUND. ^CPT HANNAH^ TURNED OFF THE BATTERY AND FUEL SWITCHES AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW CHIEF, DOOR GUNNER, AND PILOTS HELPED THE PASSENGERS OUT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.\\
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
67-17619
It is provided here as an ESTIMATE of the history of this helicopter
and is not intended to be the final authority.
This helicopter was purchased
by the US Army in 0668.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6806 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 6807 32 32 2086 OPM SEA NITEOPS 1ST ARMY FORT BELVOIR AMC 6808 26 58 2086 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6809 33 91 2086 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6810 0 91 2086 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6811 0 91 2086 POST SUPPLY 6TH ARMY FORT ORD 6TH ARMY 6812 46 137 WD64AA UNIT NOT KNOWN VIETNAM RVN 6901 44 181 WE4HAA 142 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 6902 2 183 WE4HAA 142 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 6903 135 318 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6904 108 426 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6905 122 548 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6906 131 679 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6907 102 781 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6908 83 864 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6909 122 986 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6910 104 1090 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6911 136 1226 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6912 124 1350 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7001 40 1390 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7002 122 1512 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7003 99 1611 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7004 102 1713 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7005 73 1786 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7006 105 1891 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7007 158 2049 WDUWAA 190 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7008 49 2098 WC08AA 135 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 7009 52 2150 WC08AA 135 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 7010 0 2150 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7011 0 2150 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7012 0 2150 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7101 0 2150 WCLSAA 388 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7102 71 2221 WGZ6A0 A TRP 7 1ST ACS VIETNAM RVN 7103 68 2289 WGZ6A0 A TRP 7 1ST ACS VIETNAM RVN 7104 68 2357 WGZ6A0 A TRP 7 1ST ACS VIETNAM RVN 7105 112 2469 WGZ6A0 A TRP 7 1ST ACS VIETNAM RVN 7106 70 2539 WGZ6A0 A TRP 7 1ST ACS VIETNAM RVN 7107 80 2619 WGZ6A0 A TRP 7 1ST ACS VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law
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