Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-15235
The Army purchased this helicopter 1067
Total flight hours at this point: 00000706
Date: 12/31/68
Accident case number: 681231101
Unit: 170 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Pleiku in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 59266
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
MN O2 ABBOTT DL
Accident Summary:
ON ^31 DECEMBER 1968^, THE UH-1C S/N ^66-15235^, BELONGING TO THE ^170TH ASSAULT HELICOPTER COMPANY^, WAS RETURNED FROM ITS MISSION AND WAS WRITTEN UP BY THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER FOR BEING LOW ON POWER. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD BE TEST FLOWN IN ORDER TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THE TEST PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT AND PROCEEDED TO START IT. AFTER MAKING HIS RUN UP CHECKS, HE PICKED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO A HOVER. HE NOTED A 100 RPM DROP ON THE N2 TACHOMETER AS HE PICKED THE SHIP UP, BUT THE RPM CAME BACK TO 6600 ONCE AT A HOVER. HE PICKED THE SHIP UP AND SAT IT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME THE DROP OF 100 RPM WAS NOTED AND EACH TIME THE AIRCRAFT REGAINED FULL RPM AT A HOVER. THE PILOT BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO A FIFTEEN FOOT HOVER AND EXECUTED SEVERAL 360 DEG LEFT PEDAL TURNS. NO LOSS OF RPM WAS NOTED. THE PILOT THEN DECIDED TO TAKE OFF. DEPARTING ON RUNWAY 05 FROM NEAR MID-FIELD ON THE ^CHRISTMAS TREE^ AT ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^, MAXIMUM POWER WAS APPLIED. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HAD REACHED APPROXIMATELY 45 KNOTS AND 50 FEET ACTUAL ALTITUDE A LOUD EXPLOSION WAS HEARD IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT OBSERVED FLAMES SHOOTING FROM THE EXHAUST OF THE AIRCRAFT. AT THE TIME OF THE POWER LOSS, THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST PASSED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, FORCING THE PILOT TO AUTOROTATE INTO THE LARGE POL DUMP LYING IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE ^CHRISTMAS TREE^. THIS AREA IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TAKE OFF ROUTE BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS POL BLADDERS, 55 GALLON POL DRUMS, POL TANKS, AND HIGH EARTHEN DIKES WHICH IT CONTAINS. MOREOVER, FLIGHT OVER THIS POL DUMP CAN NOT BE SAFELY AVOIDED WHEN MAKING A NORTHEAST DEPARTURE FROM THE ^CHRISTMAS TREE^ OR A SOUTHEAST APPROACH TO THE ^CHRISTMAS TREE. IN THE COURSE OF HIS AUTOROTATION THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO USE SOME OF HIS ROTOR RPM TO GET OVER A LARGE DIKE WHICH WAS IN HIS FLIGHT PATH. HE THEN HAD TO FLARE HARD IN ORDER TO LAND SHORT OF THE NEXT ROW OF DIKES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST BETWEEN THE TWO ROWS OF DIKES AND ON A ROAD RUNNING PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY FROM WHICH THE TAKEOFF HAD BEEN MADE. SKID MARKS OF APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT IN LENGTH INDICATED BERY LITTLE GROUND RUN. BOTH THE FORE AND AFT CROSS TUBES OF THE AIRCRAFT SKIDS WERE BROKEN AND THERE WAS MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE. ALSO, THE TAIL BOOM HAD BEEN CHOPPED OFF JUST FORE OF THE 42 DEG GEAR BOX AND THERE WAS DAMAGE TO ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT FROM THE BLADES TIP. IT IS THIS INVESTIGATORS OPINION THAT LOW ROTOR RPM COMBINED WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE FULLY LOADED GUNSHIP CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO LAND HARD, BREAKING THE CORSS TUBES AND DAMAGING THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. THIS HARD LANDING ALSO CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO FLEX DOWNWARD, CUTTING OFF THE TAIL BOOM AND LEAVING DEEP DENTS AND CREASES IN THE ROTOR BLADE ITSELF AT THE POINT OF IMPACT.\\
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1C tail number 66-15235
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 1067.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6710 24 24 2067 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 6711 37 61 2067 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6712 20 81 2067 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6801 6 87 2067 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6802 0 87 2067 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6803 2 89 2067 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6804 24 113 WCXYAA 220 RECON AIRCO VIETNAM RVN 6805 78 191 WG1RAA 361 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 6806 92 283 WAAMT0 HQTRP 3SQ 17CAV VIETNAM RVN 6807 70 353 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6808 39 392 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6809 117 509 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6810 76 585 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6811 64 649 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6812 57 706 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6901 0 706 WC4YAA 170 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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