Helicopter UH-1H 68-16583
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail
number 68-16583
The Army purchased this helicopter 1269
Total flight hours
at this point: 00001625
Date: 12/02/71
Incident number: 711202071ACD
Accident case number: 711202071 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 114
AHC
South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . .
Passengers = 0
costing 515745
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 FOLEY
THOMAS HAROLD KIA
AC WO1 HIEBERT JOHN MICHAEL KIA
CE SP4 KEETER MARVIN
ROSS KIA
G SP4 WARREN WILLIAM THOMAS JR KIA
Accident Summary:
ON 2 DEC 71, THE ^114TH AHC^ WAS IN DIRECT COMBAT SUPPORT OF THE ^16TH REGT,
9TH ARVN DIV^. THE ASSAULT PACKAGE CONSISTED OF 4 UH-1H, 2 AH-1G AND 1 UH-1H
(COMMAND & CONTROL AIRCRAFT). THE PACKAGE HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS OF
COMBAT ASSAULTS THAT MORNING, ENCOUNTERING NO ENEMY FIRE. AFTER LUNCH AND
MAINTENANCE BREAK, THE FLIGHT TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 1220 HRS WITH A FULL
LOAD OF FUEL AND TROOPS, AND MADE AN INSERTION. NO ENEMY RESISTANCE WAS
ENCOUNTERED. WHILE ENROUTE BACK TO THE PZ, COORDINATES (WR 0799) THE FLIGHT WAS
CRUISING 90KNOTS PER HOUR, 1500 FEET AGL ON A NORTHERLY HEADING, USING A
STAGGERED TRAIN (LEFT) FORMATION (1-1 1/2 ROTOR DISC SEPERATION) WITH AIRCRAFT
^69-15777^ AND ^68-16583^ IN THE NUMBER 1 AND 2 POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY. THE CREW
OF ^69-15777^ WAS ^CPT GILPIN^ (AC), ^1LT MACKENZIE^ (P), ^SP4 CORDLE^ (CE) AND
^PFC RODRIQUEZ^ (G), WHILE ^WO1 FOLEY^ (P), ^WO1 HEIBERT^ (CP), ^SP4 KEETER^
(CE) AND ^SP4 WARREN^ (G) WERE ABOARD AIRCRAFT ^68-16583^. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT,
WITH ^1LT MACKENZIE^ AT THE CONTROLS, BEGAN A INTENTIONAL SLIGHT LEFT TURN.
SECONDS LATER THE #2 AIRCRAFT, PILOT UNKNOWN, STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM OF THE #1
AIRCRAFT WITH ITS' ADVANCING BLADE SEVERING THE TAIL BOOM AT STATION 435. THE
ENTIRE VERTICAL FIN, TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT, 90 DEGREE GEAR BOX, TAIL ROTOR, AND
FIBERGLASS TAIL BOOM SKID COVER FALLING AWAY INSTANTLY. THE MAIN ROTOR AND THE
MASK OF ^68-16583^ SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND THE FUSELAGE WENT INVERTED.
(WITNESSES WERE UNABLE TO AGREE ON THE MECHANICS OF HOW THE AIRCRAFT WENT
INVERTED). A SMALL CLOUD OF UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE WAS SEEN IN THE VICINITY OF THE
TRANSMISSION WITH UNIDENTIFIED PARTS FALLING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. IT WAS AT THIS
POINT A FIRE STARTED ON ^68-16583^AS IT FELL TO THE EARTH. ALL FOUR CREW MEMBERS
WERE ON BOARD WHEN ^68-16583^ IMPACTED INVERTED. THE TIME FROM MID-AIR CONTACT
TO EARTH IMPACT WAS JUST SECONDS, AIRCRAFT ^68-16583^ WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED BY
FIRE AS SOON AS IT STRUCK THE EARTH. AIRCRAFT ^68-15777^, HAVING BEEN STRUCK BY
THE MAIN ROTOR OF ^68-16583^, PITCHED UP, ROLLED LEFT, AND YAWED LEFT. THE AC,
^CPT GILPIN^, GOT ON THE CONTROLS WITH ^1LT MACKENZIE^ (P) AND CORRECTED THE
ATTITUDE, LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND BEGAN A SLOW LEFT TURN. EXTREME FEEDBACK ON
THE CONTROLS, NECESSITATED THE PILOTS WORKING TOGETHER TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT.
THE FORCES ENCOUNTERED WERE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF A HYDRAULICS OFF CONDITION.
SOMETIME BETWEEN INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE #2 AIRCRAFT, AND THE LAST 500 FEET OF
DESCENT THE GUNNER, ^SP4 RODRIQUEZ^, UNKNOWN TO THE PILOTS, UNBLUCKLED HIS SEAT
BELT AND MOVED FROM HIS DUTY STATION AT STATION 156 ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE
AIRCRAFT, TO THE RIGHT JUMP SEAT AT STATION 85 BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE
TRANSMISSION WOULD TEAR OUT. THE MOVEMENT OF THE GUNNER, 151 LBS, MADE THE NOSE
LOW ATTITUDE CAUSED BY THE LOSS OF PART OF THE TAIL BOOM EVEN WORSE. AT
APPROXIMATELY 100 FT, THE LOW RPM AUDIO SOUNDED AND THE PILOTS NOTICED THE
NEEDLES J,000 RPM. ^1LT MACKENZIE^ ROLLED OFF THE THROTTLE AND BOTH PILOTS
ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THEIR FORWARD AIRSPEED USING CYCLIC. THE DECELERATION WAS
SUCCESSFUL, BUT EVEN WORKING TOGETHER THE PILOTS WERE NOT ABLE TO PULL ENOUGH
COLLECTIVE TO SUFFICIENTLY SLOW THEIR VERTICAL SPEED. AIRCRAFT ^69-15777^
TERMINATED WITH LITTLE OR NO FORWARD AIRSPEED, HIT HARD, BOUNCED, ROLLED AND
LANDED ITS' RIGHT SIDE IN APPROXIMATELY 1-1 1/2 FEET OF WATER AND MUD. ^CPT
GILPIN^ WAS THE ONLY CREW MEMBER CONSIOUS, AND HE WENT BACK INTO THE CARGO
COMPARTMENT AND ASSISTED THE GUNNER AND CREW CHIEF UP TO THE LEFT CARGO EXIT.
^1LT MACKENZIE^ WAS REMOVED THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BY CREW MEMBERS OF THE
#4 AIRCRAFT, WHICH ACCORDING TO UNIT SOP HAD LANDED TO RESCUE THE CREWS.
ATTEMPTS WERE THEN MADE TO SHUT DOWN THE STILL RUNNING ENGINE OF ^69-15777^.\\
This record was last updated on 05/25/98
The following is crew member information for this incident:
Name: WO1 Thomas Harold Foley
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on
12/02/71 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 20.8
Date of
Birth: 02/01/51
Home City: Milwaukee, WI
Service: AV branch of the reserve
component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 114 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation
Brigade
Flight class: 71-9
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The
Wall location: 02W-082
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16583
SSN: 387561882
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter
Pilot
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment
cause: unknown
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle:
pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 06/18/71
"Official"
listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
The initial status of this person
was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Kien Giang Province
IV Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: WR053853
Reason: aircraft
lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
single
male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic
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 John Michael Hiebert
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on
12/02/71 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death:
23.9
Date of Birth: 01/24/48
Home City: Hesston, KS
Service: AV branch
of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 114 AHC
Major
organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 71-21/71-19
Service: AV
branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02W-082
Aircraft: UH-1H tail
number 68-16583
SSN: 535486491
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B =
Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Major attributing cause: aircraft
connected not at sea
Compliment cause: unknown
Vehicle involved:
helicopter
Position in vehicle: co-pilot
Vehicle ownership:
government
Started Tour: 09/07/71
"Official" listing: helicopter air
casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: no previous
report
Length of service: *
Location: Kien Giang Province IV
Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: WR053853
Reason: aircraft lost
or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
married male
U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Presbyterian
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: SP4 Marvin Ross Keeter (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action
from an incident on 12/02/71 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at
death: 21.5
Date of Birth: 06/20/50
Home City: Fayetteville,
AR
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 114 AHC
Major
organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location:
02W-082
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16583
SSN: 549767756
Country:
South Vietnam
MOS: 71B20 = Clerk-Typist
Major attributing cause: aircraft
connected not at sea
Compliment cause: unknown
Vehicle involved:
helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Vehicle ownership:
government
Started Tour: 06/22/71
"Official" listing: helicopter air
casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: no previous
report
Length of service: *
Location: Kien Giang Province IV
Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: WR053853
Reason: aircraft lost
or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
single male
U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Baptist - other groups
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: enlisted
personnel
This record was last updated on 07/24/94
Name: SP4 William Thomas Warren, Jr. (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed
In Action from an incident on 12/02/71 while performing the duty of
Gunner.
Age at death: 22.6
Date of Birth: 04/13/49
Home City:
Louisville, KY
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 114
AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The
Wall location: 02W-083
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16583
SSN: 402681820
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N20 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major
attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause:
unknown
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: door
gunner
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 07/08/71
"Official"
listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this
person was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Kien Giang
Province IV Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: WR053853
Reason:
aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other
causes
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion:
Nazarene
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: enlisted
personnel
This record was last updated on 07/28/94
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
68-16583
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 1269.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY
6912 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR
7001 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR
7002 56 56 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7003 94 150 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7004 164 314 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7005 148 462 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7006 111 573 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7007 85 658 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7008 99 757 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7009 108 865 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7010 58 923 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7011 75 998 WC08AA 135 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN
7012 0 998 WCLUAA 611 TRANS CO DS VIETNAM RVN
7101 0 998 WCLUAA 611 TC DS VIETNAM RVN
7102 2 1000 WCLUAA 611 TC DS VIETNAM RVN
7103 45 1045 WAAMC0 3 17 AC SQ C TP VIETNAM RVN
7104 84 1129 WAAMC0 3 17 AC SQ C TP VIETNAM RVN
7105 94 1223 WAAMC0 3 17 AC SQ C TP VIETNAM RVN
7106 69 1292 WAAMC0 3 17 AC SQ C TP VIETNAM RVN
7107 72 1364 WAAMC0 3 17 CAV C TRP VIETNAM RVN
7108 99 1463 WAAMC0 3 17 CAV C TRP VIETNAM RVN
7109 15 1478 WAAMC0 3 17 CAV C TRP VIETNAM RVN
7110 86 1564 WAAMC0 3 17 CAV C TRP VIETNAM RVN
7111 61 1625 WAAMC0 3 17 CAV C TRP VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00
Copyright © 1998, 1999 and 2000 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association