Helicopter UH-1H 68-15244

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15244
The Army purchased this helicopter 1268
Total flight hours at this point: 00001647
Date: 03/28/70
Incident number: 700328051ACD Accident case number: 700328051 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 135 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Bear Cat in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 365945
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 WO1 COOK DONALD WARREN KIA
IP CW2 CLEMONS WILLARD LEE INJ

Accident Summary:

AIRCRAFT 68-15244 DEPARTED THE REFUELING AREA WITH 1200 LBS OF FUEL AT BEAR CAT ON A 90 DAY STANDARDIZATION RIDE. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS CW-2 CLEMONS AND THE PILOT WAS WO-1 COOK. THEY PROCEEDED TO THE FAC STRIP WHICH IS LOCATED AT BEAR CAT AND CW-2 CLEMONS PROCEEDED TO ADMINISTER THE STANDARDIZATION FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UNTIL ON DOWN WIND AT AN ALTITUDE OF 600 FEET CW-2 CLEMONS ATTEMPTED TO GIVE A PRACTICE HYDRAULICS FAILURE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING OFF THE HYDRAULICS SWITCH THE RIGHT FUEL BOOST PUMP LIGHT CAME ON, FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP LIGHT, THE ENGINE FAILED AND WO-1 COOK PUT THE AIRCRAFT INTO AUTOROTATION WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 60 KNOTS. THEY WERE OVER RELATIVELY FLAT TERRAIN WITH BRUSH 10-12 FEET TALL. WO-1 COOK ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A NARROW DIRT ROAD RUNNING THROUGH THE BRUSH, BUT COULD NOT REACH THE ROAD AND TOUCHED DOWN ON A HEADING OF 310 DEGREES WITH A HARD RIGHT SKID AND NOSE LOW ATTITUDE IN THE BRUSH 5 FEET SHORT OF THE ROAD. (SEE TAB 9 # 3). THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED INTO THE AIR AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND LANDED INVERTED BURSTING INTO FLAMES UPON IMPACT. CW-2 CLEMONS ESCAPED FROM THE BURNING AIRCRAFT WITH 2ND DEGREE BURNS OVER 88% OF HIS BODY AND WALKED DOWN THE DIRT ROAD A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 400-500 METERS TO THE MAIN ROAD LEADING FROM BEAR CAT. HE WAS SPOTTED BY A UH-1 HELICOPTER AND IMMEDIATELY EVACUATED TO THE 93RD EVACUATION HOSPITAL AT LONG BINH, RVN. A POST FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED AT THE SCENE OF THE CRASH 30 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH, AFTER IT HAD BEEN ALERTED BY A TOWER OPERATOR AT BEAR CAT. THE TOWER OPERATOR, SGT HAINES, HEARD TWO MAY DAY CALLS OVER THE RADIO BUT DID NOT SEE THE AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT BUT COULD SEE THE SMOKE AND FLAMES AT THE CRASH SITE. THE BODY OF WO-1 COOK WAS REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE AT 1355 HOURS 28 MARCH 1970.\\

This record was last updated on 05/25/98

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: CW2 Willard Lee Clemons
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 03/28/70 while performing the duty of Instructor Pilot.
Died 6 days later on 04/03/70.
Age at death: 25.1
Date of Birth: 02/16/45
Home City: Louisville, KY
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 135 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 68-21/68-35
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 12W-087
Short Summary: Engine failure during a 90 standardization check ride on 28 Mar. Pilot WO1 D.W. Cook died in the accident. IP Clemons died from burns.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-15244
SSN: 403584618 Service number: W3163371
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: A/C Accident
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 01/24/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 04
Location: Bien Hoa Province III Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died illness or injuries
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant - no denominational preference
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 07/29/95

Name: WO1 Donald Warren Cook (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 03/28/70 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 28.6
Date of Birth: 08/19/41
Home City: Avilla, IN
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 135 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 69-7
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 12W-051
Short Summary: KIA as a helicopter passenger.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-15244
SSN: 311368570 Service number: W3164390
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Started Tour: 06/04/69
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: 08
Location: Bien Hoa Province III Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 07/29/95

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15244
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 1268.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6812   0    0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS      ITR CONUS                   AVCOMITR
6901   0    0 3300   HHD 44 ENG GP    THAILAND                    PACIFIC
6902 173  173 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6903 212  385 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6904 153  538 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6905 126  664 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6906  88  752 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6907 155  907 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6908 157 1064 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6909  60 1124 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6910 104 1228 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6911  34 1262 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
6912 101 1363 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
7001  91 1454 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
7002 109 1563 WC08AA 135 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN
7003  84 1647 WCLMAA 56 TRANS CO DS   VIETNAM                     RVN

Please send additions or corrections to:

VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law

Printed from databases on: 08/27/00