Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16532
The Army purchased this helicopter 0667
Total flight hours at this point: 00001074
Date: 01/30/69
Accident case number: 690130321 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 3 BDE 82 ABN
The station for this helicopter was Di An in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XS840980
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 244345
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. )
Crew Members:
P W1 HIRREL PH
CE E5 HEWARD A
Accident Summary:
^ON 30 JANUARY 1969, WO1 HIRREL^ INITIATED A FLIGHT FROM ^CAMP RED BALL^ (XS834984, SAIGON 1:12500, SERIES L909, SHEET 1-AMS (FE) 1962) APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES NORTH OF ^TAN SON NHUT AB, TO PHU LOI, RVN AT 1330 HRS. WO1 HIRREL^ OCCUPIED THE LEFT (CO-PILOTS) SEAT OF THE ^UH-1H, SN: 66-16532^, AND HIS CREW CHIEF, ^SP5 HEWARD^, OCCUPIED THE RIGHT (PILOT'S) SEAT. INTERVIEW OF UNIT PERSONNEL REVEALED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL PRACTICE BECAUSE ^WO1 HIRREL^ HAD FLOWN MOST OFTEN ON THAT SIDE AND FELT MORE PROFICENT FLYING FROM THE LEFT SEAT. THE GUNNERS, ^SGT ADAIR^ AND ^SP MONTGOMERY^ OCCUPIED THEIR NORMAL POSITIONS ON THE RIGHT HAND AND LEFT SIDES RESPECTIVELY. THE HELIPAD AT ^CAMP RED BALL^ IS RATHER CONFINED, BEING APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET SQUARE AND SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY BUILDINGS AND ON A FOURTH BY A HIGH FENCE. THE UNIT HAD BEEN CONDUCTING DAY AND NIGHT OPERATIONS OUT OF THE FIELD FOR SEVERAL MONTHS EVEN THOUGH MOST PILOTS FELT THAT OPERATIONS FROM THE AREA LEFT LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR. ^WO1 HIRREL^ STARTED HIS HELICOPTER AND HOVERED TO THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF THE HELIPAD. THE WIND WAS THIRTY DEGREES OFF THE RIGHT NOSE OF HIS AIRCRAFT AT THREE TO FIVE KNOTS. HE ELECTED TO TAKE OFF WEST THROUGH A RATHER CONFINED CORRIDOR, RATHER THAN TO HIS RIGHT FRONT OVER THE FENCE INTO THE SLIGHT BREEZE. HE INITIATED A NORMAL TAKE OFF RUN. HE STATED THAT HE FELT THAT HE WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE CHAPEL TO HIS RIGHT, AND MADE A SLIGHT DEVIATION IN HIS FLIGHT PATH TO AVOID IT. THIS DIVERSIONARY MANEUVER WOULD EXPLAIN ^SP4 KING'S^ STATEMENT WHICH INDICATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE SHIP HAD STRUCK A WIRE. DRUING THE SLIGHT PERIOD OF TIME ^WO1 HIRREL'S^ ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED, HIS AIRCRAFT MOVED TO THE LEFT AND HIS MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE CEILING OF THE TWO-STORY BUILDING APPROXIMATELY TWELVE TO FIFTEEN FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE BLADE STRIKE CAUSED EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS IN THE HELICOPTER AND ^WO1 HIRREL^ APPLIED IMMEDIATE RIGHT CYCLIC TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE BUILDING AND LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO GET BACK ON THE GROUND. HE SAYS THAT HE DID NOT TRY TO CUSHION THE LANDING BUT TRIED TO GET IT ON THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY. THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND AND BOUNCED APPROXIMATELY THIRTY TO FORTY FEET. IT HIT THE GROUND AGAIN AND THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE ENLISTED MEN'S SHOWER, A CONCRETE BLOCK STRUCTURE, AND A REINFORCED CONCRETE POWER POLE. THIS DEMOLISHED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND ALL THE DRIVE TRAIN EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN STOPPAGE. THE GUNNERS EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY AND ^WO1 HIRREL AND SP5 HEWARD^ WENT THROUGH SHUTDOWN PROCEDURES. ^SP5 HEWARD^ THEN IMMEDIATELY EVACUATED THE SHIP AND ^WO1 HIRREL^ WAS BODILY PULLED FROM THE SHIP BY PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY ON THE SCENE.\\
War Story:
Although this helicopter was written off because of this incident, it was later rebuilt and returned to service
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16532
Date: 710400
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT861530
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: VNAF (South Vietnamese Air Force. )
Loss to Inventory
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16532
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 0667.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6706 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR 6707 46 46 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6708 101 147 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6709 121 268 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6710 128 396 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6711 134 530 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6712 153 683 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6801 101 784 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6802 12 796 3364 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6803 0 796 WCLNAA 79 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 6804 0 796 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6805 0 796 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6806 0 796 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6807 2 798 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6808 0 798 3300 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6809 0 798 3300 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6810 75 873 3242 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6811 74 947 WABCAA 82 ABNE BDE VIETNAM RVN 6812 63 1010 WABCAA 82 ABNE BDE VIETNAM RVN 6901 64 1074 WABCAA 82 ABNE BDE 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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