Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail
number 68-16278
The Army purchased this helicopter 0969
Total flight hours
at this point: 00000489
Date: 05/13/70
Accident case number: 700513071
Unit: 335 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Bear Cat in
Number
killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing
5555
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation
Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC O3 POSEY RH
Accident
Summary:
ACFT WAS ABOUT TO SHUT DOWN WHEN A JEEP DROVE TOO CLOSE WITH ANTENNAE NOT
FASTENED DOWN ANTENNAE STRUCK M/R BLADE & PARTS OF IT HIT T/R BLADE CAUSING
ICDT DMG
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16278
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0969
Total flight hours at this point:
00002185
Date: 01/26/73
Accident case number: 730126081 Total loss or
fatality Accident
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Camp
Holloway in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: ZA233492
Number killed in
accident = 0 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 2
costing 293070
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 O2 BAXTER
CP O1 WILSON R
CE E4 YOUNG
DA
G E4 SEARCY WO
Passengers:
UNK UNK, LCO, G; O3 CK SUTTON,
PAX, G;
Accident Summary:
DESCRIPTION OF MISHAP: AT ^1800 HOURS^, ^26 JANUARY 1973^, THE CREW OF
AIRCRAFT ^68-16278^ DEPARTED THE ^II CORPS^ UPPER PAD ON THE EVENING OF^THANH
AN^ SHUTTLE MISSION. AFTER DROPPING OFF THE NIGHT ^TOC TEAM AT THANH AN^, THE
CREW ORBITED ^THANH AN^ WHILE WAITING FOR THE DAY ^TOC TEAM^ TO FINISH BRIEFING
THEIR REPLACEMENTS. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, ^THANH AN^ BEGAN TO RECEIVE
INCOMING 122MM ROCKET FIRE. SINCE A U.S. ADVISOR, ^CPT CHARLES K. SUTTON^, WAS
RIDING IN THE AIRCRAFT, ^A/C 278^ WAS DIRECTED TO TRY TO DETERMINE LOCATIONS OF
THE ROCKETS AND TO CONTROL THE 2 AH-1G'S THAT WERE ENROUTE. THE CREW FLEW THIS
TYPE MISSION FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR. THEY THEN RETURNED TO ^II CORPS HQ^ AND
DROPPED OFF ^CPT SUTTON^ SO HE COULD BRIEF ^CTOC^ ON THE DEVELOPMENTS AT ^THANH
AN^. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN FLOWN TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ TO REFUEL. AFTER REFUELING,
THE AIRCRAFT WENT BACK TO ^II CORPS^ UPPER PAD, PICKED UP ^CPT SUTTON^ AND
RETURNED TO ^THANH AN^. SHORTLY AFTER THE AIRCRAFT'S RETURN TO ^THANH AN^, THE
CREW WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE RELEASED AND COULD RETURN TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ AND
^II CORPS HQ^. AT THIS TIME, APPROXIMATELY ^1945 HOURS^, BECAUSE OF NO MOON, IT
WAS QUITE DARK OUT. ALSO BECAUSE OF HAZE, THE VISIBILITY WAS DOWN TO ABOUT 3
MILES. ^1LT BAXTER^ HAD CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 9000 FEET IN ORDER TO BE CLEAR
OF ARTILLERY AND ROCKET FIRE IN THE ^THANH AN^ AREA. APPROACHING THE ^PLEIKU^
AREA ^LT BAXTER^ STARTED A 500 FPM DESCENT FROM ALTITUDE. THE FM RADIO HAD NOT
BEEN WORKING PROPERLY THROUGHTOUT THE FLIGHT. THE CREW COULD ONLY HEAR
TRANSMISSIONS WHEN THE SQUELCH WAS IN THE "SQELCH DISABLE" POSITION. THE CREW
ELECTED TO LEAVE THE SWITCH IN THE DISABLE POSITION DURING THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.
THE RESULTING RUSHING NOISE MADE GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CREW MEMBERS
DIFFICULT. SHORTLY BEFORE THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, ^2LT WILSON^, THE CO-PILOT,
NOTICED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL DESCENDING AND HE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE AT
TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE. ^2LT WILSON^ ELECTED TO INFORM THE PILOT, ^1LT BAXTER^,
THAT THEY WERE TOO LOW BY APPLYING SLIGHT UPWARDS PRESSURE ON THE COLLECTIVE. HE
DID THIS SO AS NOT TO DISTURB ^1LT BAXTER^ WHO WAS MAKING A RADIO TRANSMISSION
AT THE TIME. ^LT. BAXTER^ ALSO THOUGHT THAT ^LT WILSON^ SAID "I HAVE IT." ^LT
WILSON^ ALSO THINKS ^LT BAXTER^ SAID "YOU HAVE IT". UPON FEELING THE PRESSURE ON
THE COLLECTIVE, ^LT BAXTER^ ASSUMED ^2LT WILSON^ HAD TAKEN CONTROL OF THE
AIRCRAFT AND THEREFORE LET GO OF THE CONTROLS. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT
UNDER THE CONTROL OF EITHER PILOT, WAS DESCENDING IN FORWARD FLIGHT AT
APPROXIMATELY 70 KNOTS AND WAS APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE
AIRCRAFT REMAINED UNCONTROLLED UNTIL THE CREW CHIEF ^SP4 YOUNG^ NOTICED THE
AIRCRAFT RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE GROUND. SHORTLY BEFORE THE INITIAL IMPACT, ^SP4
YOUNG^ SHOUTED "WATCH IT!" THE PILOT THEN GRABBED THE CONTROLS AND ATTEMPTED TO
STOP THE DESCENT BUT THIS WAS IN VAIN. THE RIGHT SKID MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH
A 4 FOOT MOUND OF DIRT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND AND STRUCK THE GROUND
IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE SKIDS WERE SHEARED OFF THE CROSS TUBES AND THE AIRCRAFT
SLID ON ITS BELLY FOR 38 FEET. IT TRAVELLED UP ANOTHER 4 FOOT MOUND AND BECAME
AIRBORNE AND TRAVELLED ANOTHER 88 FEET. SINCE THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HAD
BEEN SEVERED BY A BLOW FROM THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE, THE AIRCRAFT HAD STARTED A YAW
TO THE RIGHT WHEN IT STRUCK THE GROUND FOR THE FINAL TIME. THE RIGHT YAW CAUSED
THE AIRCRAFT TO ROLL UPON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE CREW HAD LITTLE DIFFICULTY IN
EXITING THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ^2LT WILSON^. HE HAD TO BE HELPED
FROM THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO HIS BROKEN LEG. THE TWO INJURED PERSONNEL WERE TAKEN TO
THE ^67TH EVACUATION^ HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT.
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
68-16278
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 0969.
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
6909 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR
6910 27 27 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
6911 45 72 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
6912 63 135 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7001 64 199 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7002 69 268 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7003 67 335 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7004 69 404 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7005 85 489 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7006 21 510 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7007 106 616 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7008 141 757 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
7009 45 802 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7010 0 802 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7011 0 802 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7012 0 802 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7101 0 802 WCLSAA 388 TC DS VIETNAM RVN
7102 0 802 WCLSAA 388 TC DS VIETNAM RVN
7103 0 802 WCLSAA 388 TC DS VIETNAM RVN
7104 18 820 WCLSAA 48 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7105 43 863 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7106 27 890 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7107 47 937 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7108 91 1028 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7109 31 1059 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7110 73 1132 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7111 54 1186 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7112 48 1234 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7201 75 1309 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7202 54 1363 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7203 78 1441 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7204 125 1566 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7205 61 1627 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7206 102 1729 WAX5AA 361 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7207 40 1769 WAX5AA 361 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7208 74 1843 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7209 84 1927 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7210 34 1961 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7211 65 2026 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7212 78 2104 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7301 81 2185 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00
