Helicopter UH-1H 68-16278
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16278The Army purchased this helicopter 0969
Total flight hours at this point: 00000489
Date: 05/13/1970
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: 01/26/1973
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.
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
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Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
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Printed from databases on: 06/10/2000
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