Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail
number 66-15079
The Army purchased this helicopter 0467
Total flight hours
at this point: 00000158
Date: 12/12/67
Unit: 355 AVN
This was a Combat
incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission
for Armed Escort , Other Aircraft.
While in Target Area this helicopter was
Attacking at 1500 feet and UNK knots.
Classified
Helicopter took 4 hits
from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic
projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the
Left Side
Systems damaged were: FUEL SYS, STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL SYS
It is
unknown or not reported if the self sealing fuel tank developed a leak.
The
helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all
mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the
incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information
Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: LNOF, 74426, FM232 (Lindenmuth Old
Format Data Base. )
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-15079
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0467
Total flight hours at this point:
00000850
Date: 12/30/68
Unit: 57 AHC
South Vietnam
Original
source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations
Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-15079
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0467
Total flight hours at this point:
00000850
Date: 12/30/68
Accident case number: 681230071 Total loss or
fatality Accident
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Kontum
in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 4 . . Passengers =
0
costing 216914
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 RANES JW
P W1 KIRKBRIDE M
CE ALLAIRE RP
G BILBY DR
Accident
Summary:
AT APPROXIMATELY ^0250, 30 DEC 68^, A TACTICAL EMERGENCY WAS THOUGHT TO EXIST
AND THE COUGARS WERE TO LAUNCH IMMEDIATELY TO ASSIST A LRRP TEAM. THE AIRCRAFT
COMMANDER AND PILOT BOTH BELIEVED THE TEAM TO BE IN CONTACT, ADDING TO THEIR
SENSE OF URGENCY TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION. THE LIGHT FIRE TEAMS AIRCRAFT WERE
PARKED IN THE STANDBY REVETTED AREA SHOWN IN DISPLAY #1. BEING THE STANDBY FIRE
TEAM, A PREFLIGHT HAD BEEN COMPLETED EARLIER IN THE EVENING. AIRCRAFT ^66-15079^
WAS CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE MISSION READY, TO INCLUDE A COMPLETE CHECK OF THE
LIGHTS, AND POSITIONING THE SEARCH LIGHT TO THE DESIRED POSITION FOR HOVERING.
WHEN THE CREW WAS ALERTED, THEY RESPONDED QUICKLY AND STARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THEY
WAITED FOR THE LEAD SHIP TO TAXI FROM THE REVETMENT NUMBER 134. THE CREW HAD TO
FURTHER WAIT FOR THE DUST TO SETTLE AFTER THE LEAD SHIP HAD REPOSITIONED. AFTER
THE DUST SETTLED, ^WO RANES^ BEGAN TO REPOSITION. AFTER PICKING UP TO A TWO
FOOT HOVER AND MOVING FORWARD OUT OF THE REVETMENT, THE DUST BECAME SO THICK, IT
REDUCED HIS VISION. HE CONTINUED OUT OF THE REVETMENT AND THE SEARCH LIGHT
FAILED. THE SEARCH LIGHT FAILURE MAY HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION, AN
INTERNAL FAILURE OR MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY FLYING DEBRIS. THE BOTTOM OF THE
AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED TO SUCH AN EXTENT, THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED.
AFTER THE LOSS OF THE LIGHT, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER CONTINUED OUT OF THE
REVETMENT (GROUND REFERENCE WAS MINIMAL AT THIS TIME) AND INITIATED A RIGHT
PEDAL TURN, APPARENTLY HOPING THE VISIBILITY WOULD GET BETTER AS HE PROGRESSED
TOWARD THE ACTIVE. THE DUST BECAME THICKER AND HE LOST GROUND CONTACT. HE WAS
OBVIOUSLY INTENT ON COMPLETING HIS MISSION OR OTHERWISE UNDECIDED AS HE MADE NO
ATTEMPT AT THIS TIME TO SIT THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND. HE RESPONDED WITH AFT
CYCLIC STARTING BACKWARD AND PROBABLY MAKING POWER CHANGES, AS IN STATEMENTS
FROM THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AND THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED ARCHING BACK AND
FORTH TWO OR THREE TIMES. NEITHER THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER NOR THE PILOT REFERRED
TO THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR THROUGH OUT THE OPERATION. THEIR FIRST REACTION WAS TO
RECYCLE THE LIGHT AND IN THEIR ATTEMPTS, THEY APPARENTLY TRIGGERED THE LANDING
LIGHT EXTEND-RETACT SWITCH, RETRACTING THE LANDING LIGHT. AT THIS TIME GROUND
REFERENCE WAS MADE BY THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH ARC.
MEANWHILE, THE PILOT WAS LOWERING HIS WINDOW FOR A BETTER VISION. THE TWO CREW
MEMBERS ASSERT THAT THE SHIP WENT BACK AND FORTH TWO OR THREE TIMES (THEY HAD A
VISUAL REFERENCE ON SURROUND ROCKS). THE CREW CHIEF AND GUNNER WERE ABLE TO VIEW
THE ROCKS BY THE ILLUMINATION OF THE NAVIGATIONAL LIGHTS, PRECLUDING THE PREMISE
OF TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. AFTER TWO OR THREE ARCS BACK AND FORTH THE AIRCRAFT
COMMANDER TURNED THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO THE PILOT. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT STATES
THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXTREMELY NOSE HIGH AND LOSING RPM. TO CORRECT HE LOWERED
COLLECTIVE AND APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC. BOTH PILOTS WERE TOTALLY DISORIENTED AT
THIS TIME. NEITHER REMEMBERS WHAT ACTIONS WERE TAKEN THEN. FROM THE MARKINGS ON
THE ROAD AND THE SEPARATION MARKINGS ON THE RIGHT SKID PLUS OTHER LESS OBVIOUS
CLUES, THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT HAPPENED: THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER TURNED THE
AIRCRAFT OVER TO THE PILOT AT A TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVING NORTHWARD TO THE
REAR AT MORE THAN A 3 FOOT HOVER WHICH IS POSSIBLE CONSIDERING THE TEMPERATURE
AND DENSITY ALTITUDE. AT THIS TIME THE PILOT BEGAN LOWERING THE PITCH AND
APPLYING FORWARD CYCLIC, AS THE AIRCRAFT, MOVED NORTH ACROSS THE CONCERTINA WIRE
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED LOSING ALTITUDE AS IT
CROSSED THE CONCERTINA, ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE TAIL BOOM TO STRIKE THE NORTH SIDE
OF THE ROAD. (THE POINT OF CONTACT BEING THE AFTMOST PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM
AND FORWARD SECTION OF THE STINGER WHICH IS POSSIBLE CONSIDERING THE DITCH
BORDERING THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD). THE CRUSHED LOWER TIP OF THE TRAIL BOOM
VERIFIES THIS. THE IMPACT WAS OF SUFFICIENT FORCE TO BUCKLE THE TAIL BOOM AND
CRACK THE TAIL ROTOR HOUSING. THE DRIVE SHAFT FLEXED BEYOND LIMITS, CAUSING THE
TAIL ROTOR CONTROL CHAIN TO SNAP. IT SERVED THROUGH THE COWLING HINGES ON THE
FORWARD EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER. TO THIS POINT THERE HAD BEEN NO TAIL
ROTOR CONTRACT. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE TAIL BOOM IMPACT, THE HEEL OF THE
RIGHT SKID ENGAGED THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SEPARATED FROM THE CROSS TUBE.
BACKWARD MOVEMENT ON CONTACT IS INDICATED BY THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE BOLTS
SHEERED WHEN THE RIGHT SKID SEPARATED FROM THE CROSS TUBE. THE AIRCRAFT
APPROACHED THE CONCERTINA FENCE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE MAIN ROTOR
BLADE STRUCK A FENCE POST. ON CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT WAS THROWN INTO THE
CONCERTINA WIRE. THE FINAL IMPACT DISLODGED THE 90 DEGREE GEAR BOX AND IT FELL
TO THE GROUND, REMAINING INTACT WITH THE TAIL ROTOR BLADE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES
ON IMPACT SEPARATED IN MANY SMALL PIECES AND COVERED A 100 METER AREA.
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1C tail number
66-15079
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 0467.
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
6704 0 0 W0Y6AA TRAN MDMHELCO S ALASKA ALASKA
6705 0 0 W0Y6AA TRAN MDMHELCO S ALASKA ALASKA
6706 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR
6707 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR
6708 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR
6709 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR
6710 0 0 3285 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM
6711 67 67 3285 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6712 91 158 3285 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6801 8 166 3285 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6802 0 166 3285 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6803 95 261 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6804 59 320 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6805 49 369 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6806 52 421 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6807 66 487 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6808 70 557 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6809 78 635 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6810 54 689 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6811 64 753 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6812 97 850 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6901 0 850 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00