WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN LZ AIRCRAFT MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK TREE. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. AIRCRAFT MADE GO-AROUND, LANDED, AND THEN RETURNED TO CHU LAI.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00995
The Army purchased this helicopter 1266
Total flight hours at this point: 00003295
Date: 11/15/71
Incident number: 711115021ACD Accident case number: 711115021 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 187 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Di An in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT109677
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 515745
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 WO1 PUFF THOMAS JOE KIA
P WO1 MARTIN VINCENT PATRICK JR KIA
CE SP4 BROOKER DANIEL SCANLON KIA
G SP4 CHARNOPLOSKY JOHN ANDREW KIA
Accident Summary:
ON THE MORNING OF 15 NOV 71 THE CREWS OF THE TWO AIRCRAFT ^66-00995^ AND ^69-15378^ WERE POSTED TO FLY CHALK 5 AND 6 RESPECTIVELY IN A FORMATION CONTAINING 8 UH-1H AIRCRAFT. AT APPROXIMATELY 0655 HOURS THE COMMAND AND CONTROL AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DI AN ENROUTE TO THE DAY'S MISSION NEAR THIEN NGON, RVN. ON OR ABOUT 0710 THE EIGHT SHIP FLIGHT WITH GUN ESCORT DEPARTED DI AN AND PROCEEDED TO TAY NINH WEST RVN TO PUT ON FUEL BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THE MISSION. ^WO1 PUFF^ AND ^WO1 BENNETT^ WERE CHALKS 5 AND 6 RESPECTIVELY IN THE EIGHT SHIP FORMATION, AND REMAINED SO ALL DAY ACCORDING TO WITNESSES. DURING THE FLIGHT WITNESSES STATE THAT THE FORMATION WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING AND MAINTAINING PROPER SPACING AND POSITION. THE TRAIL SHIP, PILOTED BY ^WO1 COSTER^, MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO CHALKS 5 AND 6 TELLING THEM TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET THE PROPER SPACING. ^WO1 COSTER^ ALSO STATES THAT CHALK 6 HAD A TENDENCY TO FLARE DURING TURNS. UPON REACHING TAY NINH WEST AT 0945, THE FLIGHT LANDED AND REFUELED. AFTER REFUELING THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TAY NINH WEST AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 AND PROCEEDED ALONG HIGHWAY QL-22 TOWARD THIEN NGON. THE POSITIONS IN THE FLIGHT REMAINED THE SAME. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THIEN NGON THE FLIGHT WAS DIVERTED EAST TO XT 172767 BY THE COMMAND AND CONTROL SHIP. THIS WOULD BE THE PICK-UP ZONE. ON FINAL TO THE PZ CHALK 7 LEFT THE FLIGHT DUE TO THE ILLUMINATION OF HIS ENGINE CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT, AND PROCEEDED TO THIEN NGON TO CHECH THE SYSTEM. THIS LEFT SEVEN AIRCRAFT IN THE FORMATION, BUT DID NOT CHANGE THE RELATIVE POSITION OF ANY SHIP EXCEPT TRAIL WHO MOVED FROM CHALK 8 TO CHALK 7. AT 0830 THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED WITH THE TROOP PICK UP. WHEN THE SHIPS WERE LOADED IN THE PZ THEY PROCEEDED TO THE LANDING ZONE AT XT 042765, WHICH IS WEST OF THIEN NGON. THE LZ WAS FULL SUPPRESSION, WITH ARTILLERY AND GUNSHIP PREPRATORY STRIKES. THE FLIGHT LANDED IN THE LZ AT APPROXIMATELY 0855. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF TRAIL SHIP STATES THAT CHALK 6 PUT IN SUCH AN EXAGGERATED FLARE THAT HE HAD TO BREAK OUT OF THE FORMATION AND LAND TO THE RIGHT OF THE FLIHGT. TRAIL PILOT ALSO STATES THAT THE WINDS WERE ROUGH AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO HOLD FORMATION AT THIS POINT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE LZ ENROUTE BACK TO THE PZ. THE PILOT OF THE LEAD SHIP WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE ONLY ENOUGH TROOPS IN THE PZ TO WARRANT THE USE OF FOUR SHIPS. LEAD AIRCRAFT COMMANDER THEN TOLD CHALKS 5, 6, AND 7 TO BREAK OFF AND PRECEED TO TAY NINH WEST, REFUEL, SHUT DOWN, AND WAIT ON THE REST OF THE FLIGHT TO RETURN. AT THIS POINT CHALK 7 ASKED PERMISSION TO BREAK OFF AND GO THE AID OF THE SHIP DOWN AT THIEN NGON. CHALK 7 WANTED TO TAKE SOME OIL THAT HE HAD ON BOARD TO THE DOWNED SHIP. PERMISSION WAS GRANTED BY C&C AND CHALK 7 BROKE OFF LEAVING CHALK 5 AND 6 IN A STAGGERED TRAIL RIGHT TO PROCEED ON TO TAY NINH WEST. CHALK 5 AND 6 PROCEEDED SOUTH OVER OL-22 FLYING A VERY CLOSE STAGGERED TRAIL RIGHT FORMATION. THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INDIDENT TO A POINT SOUTH OF TRAI BI. AT THIS TIME, APPROXIMATELY 0930, THE TWO AIRCRAFT MESHED ROTOR BLADES, AND THE CRASH SEQUENCE BEGAN. THE LEAD SHIP IMMEDIATELY FELL FROM THE SIGHT OF THE WING SHIP. THE WING SHIP. THE WING SHIP WENT INTO A VIOLENT NOSE DOWN POSITION AND BEGAN A RIGHT SPIRAL. THE PEDALS WERE OF NO USE. THE THROTTLE WAS ROLLED OFF AND THE SPIRAL SLOWED. THE PEDALS WERE OF NO USE. THE THROTTLE WAS ROLLED OFF AND THE SPIRAL SLOWED. THE PILOT FINALLY MANAGED TO BRING THE NOSE UP AND PITCH WAS PULLED AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FT. THE AIRCRAFT 378 IMPACTED THE GROUND AT AN ESTIMATED 500-1000 FPM. THE LEAD AIRCRAFT, AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE ROTOR BLADES OF THE WING AIRCRAFT, LOST ITS ROTOR SYSTEM AND BEGAN A FREE FALL DESCENT TO THE GROUND. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT ATTAINED TERMINAL VELOCITY BEFORE IMPACT. 995 EXPLODED UPON IMPACT WITH THE GROUND AND ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE KILLED, FROM THE IMPACT.\\
This record was last updated on 05/25/98
The following is crew member information for this incident:
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00995
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 1266.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6612 22 22 1649 ARMY AVN DIV 6TH ARMY DUGWAY PG TEVALCOM 6701 16 38 1649 ARMY AVN DIV 6TH ARMY DUGWAY PG TEVALCOM 6702 15 53 1649 ARMY AVN DIV 6TH ARMY DUGWAY PG TEVALCOM 6703 30 83 1715 POST SUPPLY 6TH ARMY FORT ORD 6TH ARMY 6704 5 88 1715 ARMY AVN DIV 6TH ARMY DUGWAY PG TEVALCOM 6705 0 88 1715 ARMY AVN DIV 6TH ARMY DUGWAY PG TEVALCOM 6706 23 111 1776 USARV FLT DET VIETNAM RVN 6707 29 140 1776 USARV FLT DET VIETNAM RVN 6708 25 165 1776 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 6709 2 167 1776 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 6710 0 167 1776 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 6711 0 167 3300 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6712 98 265 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6801 102 367 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6802 104 471 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6803 108 579 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6804 87 666 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6805 99 765 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6806 134 899 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6807 112 1011 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6808 51 1062 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6809 135 1197 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6810 122 1319 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6811 139 1458 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6812 113 1571 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6901 159 1730 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6902 59 1789 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6903 84 1873 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6904 93 1966 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6905 98 2064 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6906 12 2076 WC5CAA 572ND MI DET VIETNAM RVN 6907 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6908 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6909 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6910 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6911 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6912 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7001 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7002 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7003 0 2076 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7004 0 2076 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7005 0 2076 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7006 0 2076 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7007 0 2076 WC5GAA 610 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7008 13 2089 WC44AA 176 AHC AMDV VIETNAM RVN 7009 94 2183 WC44AA 176 AHC AMDV VIETNAM RVN 7010 96 2279 WC44AA 176 AHC AMDV VIETNAM RVN 7011 93 2372 WC44AA 176 AHC AMDV VIETNAM RVN 7012 70 2442 WC44AA 176 AHC AMDV VIETNAM RVN 7101 0 2442 WC44AA 176 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7102 127 2569 WC44AA 176 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7103 103 2672 WC44AA 176 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7104 111 2783 WC44AA 176 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7105 116 2899 WC44AA 176 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7106 82 2981 WC44AA 176 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7107 71 3052 WC44AA 176 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7108 133 3185 WC44AA 176 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7109 67 3252 WC44AA 176 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7110 43 3295 WC44AA 117 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
Printed from databases on: 02/27/99
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