Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail
number 66-16699
The Army purchased this helicopter 0867
Total flight hours
at this point: 00001975
Date: 12/06/69
Incident number: 69120657.KIA
Unit: 57 AHC
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates:
ZB036029
Casualties = 05 KIA . .
Original source(s) and document(s) from
which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency
Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA, Unit history (Operations Report.
)
Summary: Hit by small arms fire, resulting in loss of power at a low
altitude above thick jungle canopy.
Loss to Inventory
Crew
Members:
AC 1LT
SCHROCK PHILIP JOHN KIA
P CPT FERRELL CHARLES ELTON
KIA
CE SP5 MIRANDA PETER KALANI KIA
G PFC DURFLINGER ROLLAND LEON
KIA
Passengers:
COL MILLER GEORGE LIVINGSTON, AR, PX, KIA;
War Story:
The 57th AHC\'s unit history states that Aircraft 699,
commanded by CPT Charles Ferrell, and pilot, 1LT Phillip Shrock, with the crew
chief SP5 Miranda and gunner PFC Ronald Durflinger crashed, killing the crew and
given passengers aboard. It is believed that the aircraft was hit by small arms
fire, resulting in loss of power at a low altitude above thick jungle canopy.
The VHPA asked members of the 57th Association for help with the phrase \"given
passengers\" beacuse The WALL database lists only five KIAs in Kontum Prov for
this date. This includes the four crew member plus COL Miller. COL Miller\'s
organization code indicates he was assigned to MACV. Former members of the 57th
AHC provided the following ideas. The events surrounding this accident are a
very dark day for the 57th. CPT Ferrell was about to DEROS and he had never
flown as AC or PIC. He was a member of the Second Lift Platoon. CPT Wong was the
platoon leader at this time. The night before, Ferrell made out his platoon\'s
schedule for the next day and put himself up to fly left seat without Wong\'s
knowledge or approval. The mission was flown for the Kontum Sector which was a
cream-puff mission. You just flew the advisors around to Montagnard villages.
Ferrell was taking off from a fire base or some place high on a hill. He was so
overloaded that he crashed on takeoff down a steep cliff. The phrase \"given
passengers\" probably should read \"eleven passengers\" because they were stacked
in the Huey, shoulder to shoulder. Apparently the only American passenger was a
MACV full colonel who may have been the Sector commander. This was a high
profile accident.
The following is from Craig P. J. Wheel, WO-1 2nd Plt, 57th AHC (69-70):
The report stated that CPT Ferrell just assigned himself to the left seat without CPT Wong\'s knowledge. I find this to be questionable as there was a pretty lengthy discussion by the AC\'s the night prior to the accident about the crewing assignments.CPT Ferrell was assigned to be the Aircraft Commander(AC) by Maj. Charles and was a concern to the ACs of the platoon. While CPT Ferrell met the time requirements to be an Aircraft Commander, he had not taken the normal training and checkride to be an official Aircraft Commander. CPT Wong objected to this assignment but was overruled. While CPT Ferrell had been with the unit for 11 months, his primary duties had been as the Project Officer for many of the compound\'s building projects. This precluded him from getting the varied experience expected of an AC. The eleven passengers consisted of COL Miller, and his RVN counterpart and staff.
From Craig P. J. Wheel, WO-1 2nd Plt, 57th AHC (69-70)
This record was last updated on 04/03/2011
The following is crew member information for this incident:
Name: PFC Rolland Leon Durflinger
Status: Killed In Action from an incident
on 12/06/69 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Age at death: 21.9
Date
of Birth: 01/13/48
Home City: Watseka, IL
Service: regular component of
the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation
Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 15W-031
Aircraft: UH-1D
tail number 66-16699
SSN: 316468031
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67A1F
= Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major
attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or
burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: door
gunner
Started Tour: 06/02/69
\"Official\" listing: helicopter air casualty
- other aircrew
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Military grid
coordinates of event: ZB036029
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty
type: Hostile - killed
married 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: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army
Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on
04/18/98
Name: CPT Charles Elton Ferrell
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on
12/06/69 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 29.6
Date of
Birth: 04/14/40
Home City: Lawton, OK
Service: FA branch of the reserve
component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation
Brigade
Flight class: 68-14/68-22
Service: FA branch of the U.S.
Army.
The Wall location: 15W-032
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number
66-16699
Call sign: Gladiator
SSN: 237625822
Country: South
Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause:
Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at
sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved:
helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Started Tour:
01/29/69
\"Official\" listing: helicopter air casualty - other
aircrew
Length of service: 12
Location: Kontum Province II
Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: ZB036029
Reason: aircraft lost
or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married 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: battle dead
Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record
was last updated on 04/18/98
Name: COL George Livingston Miller
Status: Killed In Action from an incident
on 12/06/69 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Date of Birth:
08/30/25
Home City: Ambler, PA
Service: AR branch of the regular component
of the U.S. Army.
Major organization: MACV advisors
Service: AR branch of
the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 15W-033
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number
66-16699
SSN: 206167568
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1542 = 15 Infantry
Unit Commander
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause:
aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle
involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Started Tour:
02/16/69
\"Official\" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length
of service: 20
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Military grid
coordinates of event: ZB036029
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty
type: Hostile - killed
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: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class:
officer
This record was last updated on 04/18/98
Name: SP5 Peter Kalani Miranda
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on
12/06/69 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 21.4
Date
of Birth: 07/06/48
Home City: Holloman Afb, NM
Service: regular component
of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation
Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 15W-033
Aircraft: UH-1D
tail number 66-16699
SSN: 585246886
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N20
= UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing
cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or
burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew
chief
Started Tour: 07/18/69
\"Official\" listing: helicopter air casualty -
other aircrew
Length of service: 02
Location: Kontum Province II
Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: ZB036029
Reason: aircraft lost
or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
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: battle dead Category of personnel: active
duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on
04/18/98
Name: 1LT Philip John
Schrock Status: Killed In Action from an incident on
12/06/69 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death:
28.8
Date of Birth: 01/31/41
Home City: Southgate, MI
Service: FA
branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC
Major
organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 69-20
Service: FA branch
of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 15W-033
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number
66-16699
Call sign: Gladiator
SSN: 362409259 Service number:
O5434819
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit
Commander)
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft
connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved:
helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 08/22/69
\"Official\"
listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 08
Location:
Kontum Province II Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event:
ZB036029
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile -
killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Lutheran
(Missouri Synod)
The following information is secondary, but may help in
explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle
dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This
record was last updated on 04/18/98
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
66-16699
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 0867.
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
6708 19 19 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6709 97 116 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6710 81 197 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6711 96 293 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6712 96 389 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6801 53 442 3261 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6802 32 474 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6803 60 534 3261 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6804 95 629 3261 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM
6805 140 769 3261 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6806 22 791 3261 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY
6807 96 887 3261 OPM SEA NITEOPS 1ST ARMY FORT BELVOIR AMC
6808 22 909 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6809 132 1041 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6810 0 1041 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6811 74 1115 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6812 88 1203 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6901 108 1311 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6902 38 1349 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6903 94 1443 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6904 51 1494 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6905 97 1591 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6906 137 1728 WAAXB0 COB 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6907 72 1800 WC5DAA 605 TRANS CO DS VIETNAM RVN
6908 0 1800 WC5DAA 605 TRANS CO DS VIETNAM RVN
6909 0 1800 WC5DAA 605 TRANS CO DS VIETNAM RVN
6910 57 1857 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6911 118 1975 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00