Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16828
Date: 07/17/69
Incident number: 690717281ACD Accident case number: 690717281 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 68 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Binh Hoa in
Number killed in accident = 2 . . Injured = 4 . . Passengers = 2
costing 299938
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC WO1 GARRISON NOEL KEITH KIA
CP W1 TALBERT ME
CE E4 CLARK EE
G E4 FLOYD ML
Passengers:
E4 FA RITTER, PAX, D;
CPT PROBART LEWIS DEVERN, AR, PX, KIA;
Accident Summary:
AT 0615 HOURS, WO1 GARRISON, PILOT OF UH-1H, SN 66-16828, AND HIS CREW PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND GROUND RUN-UP CHECK TO INSURE THE OPERATIONAL READINESS OF THE AIRCRAFT. NO DESCREPANCIES WERE NOTED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN. AT 0740 WO1 GARRISON AND CREW DEPARTED BIEN HOA, RVN, ON A DIRECT COMBAT SUPPORT MISSION. THEY ARRIVED AT XUAN LOC AT 0810 AND SHUT DOWN UNTIL 1100 HOURS. THEY DEPARTED AT 1100 HOURS AND DROPPED PASSENGERS AT LONG BIEN, RVN, AND RETURNED TO BIEN HOA TO REPAIR A DEFECTIVE MICROPHONE CORD. AT APPORXIMATELY 1200 HOURS THEY RETURNED TO LONG BIEN, REFUELD AND SHUT DOWN UNTIL 1400 WHEN THEY TOOK THE PASSENGERS BACK TO XUAN LOC, ARRIVING AT 1430 HOURS. AT 1530 THEY DEPARTED WITH 3 PASSENGERS DROPPED ONE AT A NEARBY FIRE SUPPORT BASE AND PROCEEDED TO AN LZ (YS 685885) TO PICK UP A PATIENT AND SOME CAPTURED ENEMY EQUIPMENT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1600, THEY DROPPED THE PATIENT AND EQUIPMENT AT THE FSB AND PICKED UP ONE PASSENGER. AFTER DROPPING ONE PASSENGER IN XUAN LOC, THEY PROCEEDED TO THE LZ (YS 685885) TO EXTRACT ANOTHER LOAD OF CAPTURED EQUIPMENT.\\ THE LZ WAS APPROXIMATELY 50 ,ETERS LONG AND 30 METERS WIDE AND WAS SURROUNDID BY 180-200 FOOT TREES ON ALL SIDES. THERE WAS ONE SMALL AREA AT THE SOUTH END OF THE LZ THAT WAS BARELY SUITABLE FOR LANDING. AFTER LANDING TO THE SOUTH APPROXIMATELY 700 LBS OF MISCELLANEOUS CAPTURED EQUIPMENT WAS LOADED ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT. WO1 GARRISON PICKED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO A HOVER WHILE A GROUND GUIDE, SFC CLARK, CLEARED HIM OF THE OBSTACLES. AS HE CAME TO A HIGH HOVER (APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET), HE EXECUTED A 200 DEGREE RIGHT PEDAL TRRN AND CONTINUED A VERTICAL CLIMB OUT TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST, APPRIXIMATELY 020 DEGREES. AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER THE TREE LINE, HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO GAIN FORWARD AIRSPEED AND PROBABLY PULLED ADDITIONAL POWER TO PREVENT SETTLING IN TO THE TREES. WHEN ADDITIONAL POWER WAS ADDED, THE RPM BLED SEVERLY AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO THE RIGHT. NO CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN TO THE RIGHT, WHILE MOVING OVER THE TREES IN THE DIRECTION OF TAKEOFF. AFTER THE FIRST 360 DEGREE TURN, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SPIN FOSTER AND BEGAN MOVING BACK OVER THE LZ TO THE SOUTH. THE AIRCRAFT SPUN SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO THE RIGHT BEFORE CONTACTING THE TREES APPROXIMATELY 30 METERS TO THE SOUTH OF THE LZ.\\ WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TREES, ONE OF THE BLADES WAS RIPPED OFF CREATING AN UNBALANCED CONDITION THAT CAUSED SEVERE MAST BUMPING AND SHEARED THE MAST. THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE TREES BREAKING ONE BLADE OFF AND SHEARING THE 90 DEGREE GEAR BOX. THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE GEAR BOX AND THE TAIL ROTOR HUB ASSEMBLY WERE THROWN CLEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE NOT RECOVERED. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT INVERTED WHEN IT CONTACTED THE TREES. IT FELL THROUGH THE TREES INVERTED AND IMPACTED ON ITS TOP IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE.\\ THE CREW AND ONE PASSENGER WERE EFFECTIVELY RESTRAINED BY SEAT BELTS AND REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IMPACT. ONE PASENGER UNFASTENED HIS SEAT BELT AND IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN THROWN FROM THE AIRCRAFT AS IT CONTACTED THE TREES AND INVERTED. HE WAS FOUND ABOUT 3 METERS SOUTHEAST OF THE WRECKAGE WITH FATAL INJURIES. ONE OF THE TREES THAT WAS KNOCKED DOWN BY THE HELICOPTER FELL ACROSS HIM AND PINNED HIM TO THE GROUND. THE OTHER PASSENGER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AND WAS HANGING IN HIS SEAT BELT. HE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT BY SFC CLARK. THE CREWCHIEF WAS WEARING A SAFETY HARNESS AND WAS HANGING FROM THE RETAINING RING. HE WAS ABLE TO FREE HIMSELF FROM THE WEECKAGE. THE GUNNER WAS CONSCIOUS AND WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. SFC CLARK HELPED HIM FREE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE AND HE HALPED GET THE PILOT AND CO-PILOT OUT OF THE SEVERELY DAMAGED COCKPIT. THE PILOT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BUT WAS UNCONSCIOUS. THE CO-PIOOT WAS PINNED IN THE CRUSHED SIDE OF THE COCKPIT, AND THE GUNNER, SFC CLARK, AND 1LT HORSE WORKED FOR APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES TO FREE HIM. AN AIRCRAFT THAT WAS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME CALLED FOR MED-EVAC HELICOPTERS AND THEY ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AFTER THE CRASH AND TOOK THE INJURED PERSONNEL TO THE HOSPITAL.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/98
The following is crew member information for this incident:
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16828
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 0967.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 196709 9 9 9221 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196710 0 9 9221 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196711 0 9 9221 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 196712 0 9 9221 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 196801 1 10 W0MCAA RED RIVER AD 4TH ARMY RED RIVER AD AMC 196802 69 79 WC44AA 176 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 196803 58 137 WC44AA 176 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 196804 150 287 WC44AA 176 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 196805 163 450 WC44AA 176 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 196806 0 450 WC44AA 176 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 196807 0 450 3412 OPM SEA NITEOPS 1ST ARMY FORT BELVOIR AMC 196808 0 450 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 196809 0 450 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 196810 0 450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196811 0 450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196812 0 450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196901 0 450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196902 0 450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196903 0 450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196904 0 450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196905 95 545 WC3FAA 68 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196906 104 649 WC3FAA 68 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
Printed from databases on: 05/14/04
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