Accident Summary:
(ABRIDGED) AT ^0730 HRS, 10 SEPTEMBER 1972^, THE CREW OF AIRCRAFT ^#6816363^ RECEIVED A MISSION TO PICK UP PASSENGERS, AND RETURN TO AN ^ARVN^ BASE LOCATED AT ^PLEIKU CITY^. THE CREW DEPARTED FOR ^KONTOM CITY^ AT^0740 HRS^ AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR PASSENGER TRANSPORT FLIGHT WITH NO IRREGULARITIES. THE CREW RECEIVED A MISSION TO TRANSPORT THREE PASSENGERS TO AN ^ARVN^ INSTALLATION LOCATED SOME FIFTEEN MILES SOUTHWEST OF ^PLEIKU^ CITY. THE CREW DEPARTED ^ARTILLERY HILL^ WITH THE THREE PASSENGERS AT ^1440 HRS^. THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON NEARING ^TAN ANH^, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE CONTACTED ^HOLLOWAY TOWER^ AT ^PLEIKU^ FOR WIND INFORMATION AND WAS ADVISED THAT SURFACE WINDS AT ^PLEIKU^ WERE FROM THE NORTHEAST (030) AT 5 KNOTS. AN AMERICAN COLONEL ^06^, ONE OF THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD, CONTACTED ^TAN ANH^ FSB, DETERMINED THAT ARTILLERY WAS FIRING TO THE WEST FROM THAT LOCATION, ADVISED ^WO1 DARBY^ OF THE ARTILLERY, AND SUGGESTED THAT A LANDING BE MADE TO THE WEST. ^WO1 DARBY^, EVALUATING THE TACTICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, ELECTED TO APPROACH TO THE WEST, PLANNING TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT AT TERMINATION, FACING IT IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AND INTO THE REPORTED WINDS. THE APPROACH WAS INITIATED IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION, AS WAS ESTABLISHED DURING INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT, AS A RESULT OF HIS MISORIENTATION AND FAILURE TO CHECK INSTRUMENTS, ^WO1 DARBY^ EXECUTED A DOWNWIND APPROACH TO THE SOUTH RATHER THAN THE PLANNED CROSSWIND APPROACH TO THE WEST. EXACT WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY AT THE SCENE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED, SO THE ABOVE SUSPICION IS BASED ON REPORTED WINDS AT ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ AND OBSERVED WINDS AT ^PLEIKU^ AIR BASE. AFTER INITIATION OF THE APPROACH, DURING HIS LOW RECONNAISSANCE, ^WO1 DARBY^ NOTED THAT HIS INTENDED TERMINATION POINT HAD A PILE OF WOODEN BOXED STACKED NEAR IT. HE ELECTED TO TERMINATE BEYOND AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE BOXES, STILL INTENDING TO SWING HIS NOSE TO THE RIGHT AT TERMINATION. ^WO1 DARBY^ CONTINUED THE APPROACH TO THE AMENDED TERMINATION POINT AND, PRIOR TO FULLY STOPPING FORWARD MOTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT AFTER LOSING TRANSLATIONAL LIFT, BEGAN A PEDAL TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE AFT LEFT SECTION OF THE TAIL BOOM MADE CONTACT WITH THE WOODEN BOXES STACKED NEAR THE HELIPAD. ^WO1 DARBY^ INITIATED THE RIGHT PEDAL TURN WITHOUT OBTAINING A "TAIL CLEAR LEFT" INDICATION FROM HIS CREW CHIEF. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, ^WO1 DARBY^ REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY TO THE WEST AND LANDED. THE CREW CHIEF, ^SP5 STRONG^, VISUALLY INSPECTED THE TAIL BOOM, REPORTED WHAT DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT, AND ^WO1 DARBY^ ELECTED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ FOR MAINTENANCE. THE PASSENGERS OFF-LOADED AND THE AIRCRAFT AND CREW RETURNED TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ WITHOUT FURTHER IRREGULARITIES, ARRIVING AND TERMINATING THE FLIGHT AT ^1550 HRS, 10 SEPTEMBER 1972^.\\
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16363
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 1069.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6910 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 6911 14 14 WAYAAA 119 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 6912 153 167 WAYAAA 119 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 7001 140 307 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7002 80 387 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7003 89 476 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7004 104 580 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7005 56 636 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7006 71 707 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7007 76 783 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7008 90 873 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7009 32 905 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7010 139 1044 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7011 70 1114 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7012 111 1225 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7101 50 1275 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7102 96 1371 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7103 101 1472 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7104 85 1557 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7105 61 1618 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7106 34 1652 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7107 31 1683 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7108 50 1733 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7109 86 1819 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7110 65 1884 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7111 41 1925 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7112 48 1973 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7201 80 2053 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7202 64 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7203 0 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7204 0 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7205 0 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7206 18 2135 WAX5AA 361 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7207 61 2196 WAX5AA 361 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7208 32 2228 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7209 58 2286 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7210 76 2362 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7211 51 2413 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7212 73 2486 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7301 23 2509 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7302 10 2519 WAX5AA 57 AHC 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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