Helicopter UH-1H 67-17205

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17205
The Army purchased this helicopter 0168
Total flight hours at this point: 00002360
Date: 05/30/70
Incident number: 70053030.KIA
Unit: 170 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Air/land Assault , Hot Area.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was at Hover at 0003 feet and 000 knots.
Classified
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing explosive charges. (B-40 RKT)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL, FLT CONTROLS, FUEL SYS
Casualties = 02 WIA, 01 KIA, 01 I . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, CASRP, FM385, JSIDR, Unknown Warriors (Operations Report. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Casualty Report. )
Summary: Shot down by large-calibre weapons while attempting to extract a SOG RT.
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC CW2 DEVANEY BRIAN JOHN KIA
P CW2 TAYLOR M

War Story:
LT Robert Talmadge, the 1st Lift Platoon leader, provides a lengthy account of the 'life and times in the 170th,' a description of B.J.'s flying skills, and details about his death in 'Unknown Warriors: Canadians in Vietnam' by Fred Gafffen. B.J. was born a Canadian and retained his Canadian citizenship. What follows is an extract of that account: B.J. had completed one year in gunships and was most of the way through his six-month extension. He was a well respected slick AC. He had been shot down twice during his time with the 170th. He wasn't scheduled to fly on the 30th because he was due to go home. However, the night before he signed up for one more mission. On the 30th he was Flight Lead on an SOB extraction mission out of Dak To. Talmadge was flying CP in the reserve ship which launched when the call came that 'Lead's down.' The recon team and downed crew were in a bomb crater surrounded by jagged tree stumps in an area of Laos called 'The Bra.' CW2 Rich Glover was the AC of Talmadge’s aircraft. The RT was receiving heavy machine-gun fire and didn’t want any more helicopters to come into their area. Disregarding this, Rich made a high overhead approach and hovered near the edge of the crater. As soon as the downed crew and wounded RT members were on board, Rich started backing away from the crater. He inadvertently hit a tree stump with the tail rotor but managed to maintain control of the aircraft. As they headed for Ben Het, Talmadge got out of his seat and when back to help CW2 Mike Taylor, who was flying with B.J., and the other wounded. He yelled to Rich that they needed to get to the Evac Hospital in Pleiku. Rich yelled back that he didn’t think the tail rotor would hold up that long but it did. Later inspection revealed almost three inches were missing from the tips of the tail rotor and one blade still had a four-inch piece of wood stuck in it. About 10 minutes after B.J. was taken into the Evac Hospital a nurse returned to say that B.J. didn’t make it. A doctor later told them that a remnant from a large-calibre round had come through the side of B.J.’s chicken plate, bounced back into his body and entered his heart

This record was last updated on 07/05/98

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: CW2 Brian John Devaney
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/30/70 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 24.0
Date of Birth: 06/14/46
Home City: Indianapolis, IN
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 170 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 68-17
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 10W-120
Short Summary: Died when the remnant of a large-calibre round entered his heart. Huey was shot down during a SOG extraction.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 67-17205
SSN: 305485072 Service number: W3162231
Country: Laos
MOS: 100E = Attack Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 11/25/68
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: hostile dead - killed out-right
Length of service: *

Additional information about this casualty:
I spent three hours with deVaney the night before. This was his last scheduled flight on a six month extension. J.H. Johnson. July 9

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: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 08/13/98

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 67-17205
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 0168.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6801   0    0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT        IN TRANSIT                  AVCOMCTR
6802 102  102 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6803 123  225 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6804 103  328 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6805 160  488 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6806 127  615 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6807 113  728 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6808  96  824 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6809 135  959 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6810  87 1046 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6811 126 1172 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6812 134 1306 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6901 109 1415 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6902  71 1486 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6903 131 1617 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6904 101 1718 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6905 151 1869 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6906 111 1980 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6907  98 2078 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6908 126 2204 WFELAA 162 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6909   0 2204 W0MUAA ARADMAC          IN MAINT   NAVAL AIR STN    AVCOM        
6910   0 2204 8003   HHD 44 ENG GP    THAILAND                    PACIFIC 
6911   0 2204 8003   HHD 44 ENG GP    THAILAND                    PACIFIC 
6912   0 2204 8003   HHD 44 ENG GP    THAILAND                    PACIFIC 
7001   0 2210 8003   7 CORPS SPT COM  GERMANY                     EUROPE   
7002   0 2210 WC5CAA 604 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN     
7003  36 2246 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7004 114 2360 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7005   0 2360 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN

Please send additions or corrections to:

Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870

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Printed from databases on: 02/27/99

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