Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail
number 68-15143
The Army purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours
at this point: 00000143
Date: 09/05/69
Unit: D/229 AVN
This was a
Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was an Inactive
mission for Parked
While in Revetment this helicopter was on the Ground at
0000 feet and 000 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits
from:
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing
explosive charges. (82MM MOR)
The helicopter was hit in the Main Rotor Blade
System causing Fragmentation Damage.
Systems damaged were: MAIN ROTOR SYS,
TAIL ROTOR
The helicopter was parked.
Entry for parked
aircraft.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was
created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center
Helicopter database. Also: BDART, SIF, 00287 (Incidents converted from the
fixed-wing data base. Battle Damage Assessment and Reporting Team Report.)
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15143
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours at this point:
00000244
Date: 10/20/69
Unit: D/229 AVN
This was a Combat incident.
This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission for Armed
Escort
While Enroute this helicopter was Unknown at 0600 feet and 090
knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic
Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in
size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Left Side
Systems damaged
were: PERSONNEL, STRUCTURE
Casualties = 01 WIA . .
The helicopter made an
Emergency Landing. Aircraft took off, fully flight capable.
Both mission and
flight capability were terminated.
Aircraft inspected and found to be in
flyable condition
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident
was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center
Helicopter database. Also: JSIDR, CASRP (Joint Services Incident Damage Report.
Casualty Report. )
Crew Members:
AC WO1 WHITLEY KENNETH RAY
P
SEVERSON
War Story:
I flew this ship at 8:30 the evening of 20 Oct
1969 on a night resupply mission for a fire base under intense enemy attack near
the North east side of Nui Ba Den. (Black Virgin Mountain) The base was running
out of ammo. My mission was to cover a lone Huey carrying boxes of bullets into
the base. The first Huey inbound broke off and returned to Tay Ninh stating it
was simply too hot anywhere near the fire base. I stayed on station near the
fire base waiting to see if another ship would replace the first ship. Soon
another crew in the same Huey came on scene. We discussed our tactics in
accomplishing the mission. Both of our aircraft crews knew it was critical that
we resupply them. Severson my copilot was himself a slick pilot, from C-229th
1st Cavalry, riding inside my snake's front seat on his first combat Cobra ride.
He'd been asking for a flight for weeks so it was arranged and happened this
date. He'd told me prior to the flight that he really wanted a good war story to
tell his grand children. I suppose he got his wish. The second Huey broke off as
he neared the base as I fired my rockets underneath and around his belly. It
simply wasn't working. I told the Huey crew if they'd try it one more time, I'd
get over the base at 500' feet and turn on my navigation and anti-collision
lights in an attempt to draw the enemy fire toward us instead of their Huey. The
plan worked better than I could have imagined. When I flipped the outside lights
on the enemy bullets rose toward us in abundance. Just as the Huey landed inside
the base I heard a loud pop coming back to me from the front seat. Severson
screamed, "I'm hit." Rolling the aircraft into a dive to gain airspeed while
turning off the aircraft lights, I asked him if he'd been shot. He told me
clearly, "Yes, I've been shot." I explained the situation to the Huey. He was
now on his on. I flew at full speed toward the Tay Ninh hospital. The Huey got
out of the fire base and returned to Tay Ninh without anyone being shot. I'm
sure his bird took hits but I never learned that as fact. Severson on the flight
toward Tay Ninh was having emotional difficulties dealing with being plugged.
Myself being in the back-seat with him seemingly light years away in the front
seat gave me a feeling of helplessness. My copilot being shot was my fault. I'd
placed us in harms way and had caused my crewmember distress and bodily harm.
Worried was an understatement for my feelings about him. I asked him where he'd
been shot? He said the bullet had entered his right shoulder, and hadn't, the
best he could tell, exited anywhere. The bullet he felt was still somewhere
inside him. I asked him if he were bleeding heavily? "No, he wasn't," he said,
"but I could be internally someplace." Basically I was helpless in helping my
poor copilot. Clearly, I could hear the wind whistling through the bullet holes
in the cockpit area up front. I landed at the hospital pad. Doctors and nurses
surrounded my copilot and took him away. Moving my ship off the main pad, I shut
it down to post flight our battle damage. The slick drivers company commander
drove up in a jeep and helped me post flight my ship. He was telling me how
sorry he was this had happened. I can't recall what I told him in return. The
only bullet that hit our ship had gone from right to left through the front seat
cockpit bubble. Severson was leaning forward firing the turret when the bullet
struck. If he'd been sitting upright the bullet would have went straight through
his head. I couldn't figure out the pieces of the puzzle. Severson had advised
me the bullet hadn't come out of him but it had because there was an exit hole
in the canopy. The CO and I went inside to check on Severson. They said it was a
minor shoulder wound. The bullet had entered and exited almost at the same spot.
They'd keep him overnight to make sure all was well. Feeling better I left the
CO, thanking him for visiting me in my time of emotional need, cranked up my
ship alone and flew out of Tay Ninh. The return trip to Dau Teing was a strange
one. I was alone in the aircraft while it played tunes to my ear through those
bullets holes up front. It was an eerie sounding condition. I'd called my base
requesting another ship and another copilot so I could then return to that fire
base and repay the enemy in kind. While I landed another company ship departed.
After landing my CO approached and told me to shut down and go to my hootch. He
sent another crew to deal with the enemy. Maintenance patched the bullet holes
with clear plastic patches and 68-15143 was ready to go right back to work.
Severson came back to his unit late the next day. All came out better than one
could have wished because we'd accomplished our mission that night as well.
Kenneth Ray Whitley, D-229th - 1st Cavalry - Dau Teing - WO-1 - 68-69, 196th
Infantry - Da Nang - Jan. 72 - June 72 - Beginning of tour two. 17th Avn Brigade
- HQ & HQ CO. - Pleiku - June 72 - Jan 73 - finished tour two; Left the army
four days prior to America's combat role being over. "War is a place where
strangers meet for the last time." KRW
This record was last updated on 04/25/99
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15143
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours at this point:
00000719
Date: 03/12/70
Unit: D/229 AVN
This was a Combat incident.
This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission for Armed
Escort
While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0500 feet and
130 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small
Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less
than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Right
Side
Systems damaged were: STRUCTURE
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original
source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database.
Also: JSIDR (Joint Services Incident Damage Report.)
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15143
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours at this point:
00001333
Date: 09/18/70
Accident case number: 700918171
Unit: D/229
AVN
The station for this helicopter was Bear Cat in
Number killed in
accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 70821
Source(s)
from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center
database.
Crew Members:
AC O3 STOEN JM
P W1 MCINTOSH NH
Accident Summary:
ON 18 SEPTEMBER 1970, AH-1G, SN 68-15143, WAS RELEASED TO CPT STOEN FOR THE
PURPOSE OF ESCORTING 1ST BDE SNIFFER MISSION. AFTER REFUELING AND REARMING AT
FSB NANCY AT APPROXIMATELY 1620 HOURS, CPT STOEN DEPARTED THE REFUELING AREA.
DURING THE TAKEOFF THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND CPT STOEN TURNED TO THE RIGHT IN
ORDER TO SET THE AIRCRAFT IN A BAMBOO CLUSTER SINCE THE REST OF THE AREA WAS
DOTTED WITH STUMPS. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A STUMP WITH THE TAIL BOOM AND SETTLED
ON A STUMP UNDER THE AMMO COMPARTMENT.
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15143
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours at this point:
00002008
Date: 06/25/72
Accident case number: 720625011 Total loss or
fatality Accident
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Camp
Holloway in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers =
0
costing 509833
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 MACHHOLZ RC
P W1 ADAMS HR
Accident Summary:
AT 0930 HOURS, 25 JUNE 1972, ^WO1 ROBERT C. MACHHOLZ, AIRCRAFT
COMMANDER AND ^WO1 HARRY R. ADAMS, PILOT, OF THE ^57TH ASSAULT
HELICOPTER COMPANY^, CAMP HOLLOWAY, RVN, APO S. F. 96318 COMPLETED THEIR RUNUP
AND DEPARTED CAMP HOLLOWAY IN AH-1G ^SN 68-15143^. ^WO1 MACHHOLZ^ WAS THE TEAM
LEADER OF A LIGHT FIRE TEAM WITH THE MISSION OF ESCORTING A UH-1H, ON A VISUAL
RECONNAISSANCE MISSION. THE MISSION WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. PRIOR TO
DEPARTING THE AREA OF OPERATION, ^WO1 MACHHOLZ^ RECEIVED PERMISSION TO FIRE ON A
TARGET SO THAT HIS RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED WING MAN COULD FIRE HIS ORDNANCE.
WHILE HIS WING MAN EXPENDED, ^WO1 MACHHOLZ^ FIRED ONLY HIS OUTBOARD ROCKET PODS.
^WO1 MACHHOLZ^ THEN GAVE UP CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT TO ^WO1 ADAMS^ FOR THE
FLIGHT BACK TO CAMP HOLLOWAY. THEIR ENTRY INTO CAMP HOLLOWAY'S TRAFFIC WAS ON A
FOUR MILE FINAL FOR LANDING HELIPORT 23 TO POLAND THE TOWER INSTRUCTED THEM TO
REPORT ONE MILE FINAL. ON REPORTING ONE MILE FINAL, ^WO1 ADAMS^ WAS CLEARED BY
THE TOWER TO LAND AND HAD STARTED HIS APPROACH FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 2940 FEET.
^WO1 MACHHOLZ^ INFORMED HIS WING MAN THAT THEY WERE CLEARED TO LAND AT POL AND
THEN HE PUT OUT THE CIGARETTE THAT HE HAD BEEN SMOKING. HE THEN LOOKED OUTSIDE
THE AIRCRAFT AND AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE APPROACH WAS PROGRESSING NORMALLY,
HE BEGAN HIS PRELANDING INSTRUMENT CHECK. WHILE NOTING AN ENGINE OIL PRESSURE OF
80 PSI, THE PRESSURE BEGAN DROPPING RAPIDLY AND THE LOW RPM WARNING AUDIO SIGNAL
CAME ON. THEN, NOTICING THAT THE ENGINE ROTOR TACH WAS AT 6000 RPM, NEEDLES
JOINED, HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE PITCH AND THE NEEDLES SPLIT. ^WO1 MACHHOLZ^
TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE PILOT AT 50 TO 100 FEET ALTITUDE AND 40 TO
50 KNOTS. HE ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE AND BEGAN APPLYING COLLECTIVE PITCH AT 15
FEET. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND STRAIGHT, SLIGHTLY NOSE HIGH WITH A HIGH
VERTICLE VELOCITY AND APPROXIMATELY 20 KNOTS FORWARD AIRSPEED. AFTER THE INITIAL
IMPACT, THE TAIL ROCKED UP, THE RED MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE SYNCHRONIZED
ELEVATOR AND SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM JUST TO THE REAR OF THE SYNCHRONIZED
ELEVATOR. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO TURN TO THE LEFT AND ROLLED ONTO
ITS RIGHT SIDE, HEADING 110 DEG, 67 FEET FROM THE INITAL POINT OF IMPACT. THE
CANOPY WAS SHATTERED DURING THE CRASH AND ^WO1 MACHHOLZ^ EXITED THE AIRCRAFT
THROUGH THE CANOPY. HE JETTISONED THE GUNNERS DOOR AND ASSISTED ^WO1 ADAMS^ FROM
THE AIRCRAFT. A UH-1H AIRCRAFT LANDED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND CARRIED BOTH PILOTS
TO THE HOSPITAL AT PLEIKU.
The following is testGoldbook information on US Army helicopter AH-1G tail number
68-15143
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 0569.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
Tabular Data unavailable on mobile device
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY
6905 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR
6906 1 1 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN MAINT SHARPE AD AVCOM
6907 0 1 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD AVCOM
6908 31 32 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6909 111 143 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6910 101 244 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6911 102 346 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
6912 72 418 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7001 81 499 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7002 101 600 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7003 119 719 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7004 106 825 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7005 128 953 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7006 99 1052 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7007 85 1137 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7008 144 1281 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN
7009 52 1333 WC5DAA 605 TRANS CO DS VIETNAM RVN
7010 52 1385 WC5DAA 605 TRANS CO DS VIETNAM RVN
7011 0 1385 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7012 0 1385 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7101 0 1385 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7102 0 1385 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7103 1 1386 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7104 73 1459 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7105 15 1474 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7106 0 1474 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7107 20 1494 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7108 38 1532 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7109 30 1562 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7110 59 1621 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7111 31 1652 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7112 48 1700 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7201 86 1786 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7202 27 1813 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7203 38 1851 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7204 72 1923 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7205 13 1936 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7206 72 2008 WAX5AA 361 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7207 0 2008 WAX5AA 361 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7208 0 2008 WC5CAA 604TH TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7209 0 2008 WC5CAA 604TH TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7210 0 2008 WC5CAA 604TH TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7211 0 2008 W0Y6AA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7212 0 2008 W0Y6AA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7301 0 2008 W0Y6AA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7302 0 2008 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7303 0 2008 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7304 0 2008 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7305 0 2008 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7306 3 2011 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7307 0 2011 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7308 2 2013 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
7309 7 2020 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7310 19 2039 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7311 39 2078 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7312 0 2078 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7401 6 2084 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7402 17 2101 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7403 0 2101 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7404 1 2102 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7405 10 2112 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7406 15 2127 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7410 5 2181 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7411 0 2181 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7412 0 2181 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7501 0 2181 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7502 10 2191 WAGEAA 1ST CAV DIV 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7503 5 2196 WH30AA 6TH CAV BDE 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSECOM
7504 22 2218 WH30AA 6TH CAV BDE 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSECOM
7505 18 2236 WH3QAA 6TH CAV BDE 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7506 25 2261 WH3QAA 6TH CAV BDE 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7507 7 2268 WH3QAA 6TH CAV BDE 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7508 1 2269 WH3QAA 6TH CAV BDE 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7509 0 2269 WH3QAA 6TH CAV BDE 5TH ARMY FORT HOOD FORSCOM
7510 0 2269 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM
7511 0 2269 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM
7512 0 2269 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00
