Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail
number 68-15299
The Army purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours
at this point: 00001540
Date: 05/28/70
Accident case number: 700528261
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this helicopter was An Khe in
Number
killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing
2500
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation
Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 DIEDRICH FR
P W1
BLACKBURN LH
CE E4 ACKER LF
G E3 WYLIE ME
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT SN 68-15299 WAS WORKING FOR THE 5TH SPECIAL FORCES AT THE C-TEAM PAD
AT PLEIKU. ITS MISSION INVOLVED TAKING SIX PASSENGERS FROM C-TEAM TO BEN HOT.
THE SIX PASSENGERS WERE PICKED UP THERE AND THE AIR CRAFT TOOK OFF FOR BEN HOT.
DUE TO THE MARGINAL WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME, THE PILOT IN CHARGE DECIDED
TO FLY LOW LEVEL IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION. THE CEILING WAS
APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET, AS ESTIMATED BY THE PILOT IN CHARGE, AND THE VISIBILITY
WAS 6 TO 7 MILES WITH LIGHT FOG. AFTER ESTABLISHING THE AIRCRAFT AT LOW LEVEL,
THE PILOT IN CHARGE RELINQUISHED THE CONTROLS TO THE CO-PILOT. THE CO-PILOT
CONTINUED THE MISSION, FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET AGL AND 100 KNOTS. AS THE
AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE KONTUM PASS, THE PILOTS OBSERVED THAT
THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED TO ZERO TO THEIR IMMEDIATE FRONT DUE TO HEAVY GROUND
FOG. THE PILOT IN CHARGE INSTRUCTED THE CO-PILOT TO GAIN SOME ALTITUDE AND TO
MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN IN ORDER TO AVOID THE FOG. THE CO-PILOT IMMEDIATELY MADE
A HARD LEFT BANK BEFORE PULLING IN ANY ADDITIONAL POWER. THE PILOT IN CHARGE
SHOUTED TO THE CO-PILOT TO GAIN ALTITUDE, AND THEN THE CO-PILOT PULLED IN ALL
THE POWER HE HAD AVAILABLE. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A NOSE LOW
ATTITUDE, SLIDING LEFT AND LOOSING ALTITUDE AND POWER. AS THE PILOT IN CHARGE
TOOK THE CONTROLS, THE LEFT SKID, DOOR, AND CHIN BUBBLE CONTACTED THE TREES,
CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL TO THE RIGHT. THE NOSE SECTION AND RIGHT CHIN
BUBBLE THENWERE STRUCK BY THE TREES. THE FORCE OF IMPACT CAUSED BY THE TREES
COUPLED WITH THE BLEEDING RPM SITUATION, INDUCED BY THE ABRUPT POWER CHANGE,
CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BEGIN TO SETTLE INTO THE TREES. AT THIS POINT, THE PILOT
IN CHARGE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN HIS RPM, TO STABILIZE THE AIRCRAFT, AND TO MANEUVER
IT CLEAR OF THE TREES.
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15299
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours at this point:
00001583
Date: 07/21/70
Accident case number: 700721111 Total loss or
fatality Accident
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this helicopter was An Khe
in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers
= 1
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:
AC W1 KELLY GW
P W1 WRIGHT CW
CE E4 PECK EL
G E3 MINIFEE WS
Passengers:
E5 JJ ULATOWSKI,
PAX, D;
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A ROUTINE MISSION, HAULING RESUPPLY INTO ^4TH INF DIV
TROOPS^ IN AND AROUND LZ LEWIS. THE AIRCRAFT HAD FIVE PASSENGERS ON BOARD, AND
THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER WAS ON THE CONTROLS. WHEN THE SHIP GOT DOWN IN THE LZ,
THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER DECIDED HE COULD NOT SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN BECAUSE OF
MANY TREE STUMPS IN THE LZ. HE DECIDED TO HAVE THE PACKS JUMP FROM A HOVER. THE
BACK SEAT CREW WAS CLEARING HIM DOWN SO HE COULD GET AS LOW AS POSSIBLE WHEN THE
PACKS JUMPED OFF. THEY HAD NOT BEEN TOLD TO JUMP, AND THEY HAD BEEN TOLD NOT TO
JUMP UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO. WHEN THE PACKS JUMPED THIS CAUSED A SUDDEN SHIFT OF
CG. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER FAILED TO MAKE A CORRECTIVE ACTION FAST ENOUGH AND
THE TAIL BOOM JERKED DOWN AND TAIL ROTOR STRUCK A STUMP. BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES
WERE SEPARATED FROM THE TAIL ROTOR BY THE IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED SPINNING
CLOCKWISE. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN 180 DEGREES BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER CHOPPED
THE THRORRLE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN HIT THE GROUND SKID FIRST, NOSED OVER, AND
ROLLED END OVER END DOWN THE HILL, COMING TO REST RIGHT SIDE UP.
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
68-15299
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 0169.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
Tabular Data unavailable on mobile device
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY
6901 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR
6902 0 0 3300 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC
6903 150 150 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6904 126 276 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6905 127 403 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6906 95 498 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6907 98 596 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6908 136 732 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6909 113 845 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6910 41 886 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6911 90 976 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6912 102 1078 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
7001 88 1166 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
7002 54 1220 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
7003 142 1362 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
7004 68 1430 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
7005 110 1540 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
7006 43 1583 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00