Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail
number 68-15686
The Army purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours
at this point: 00000758
Date: 01/07/70
Accident case number: 700107231
Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this
helicopter was Kontum in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 1 . .
Passengers = 0
costing 104269
Source(s) from which the incident was
created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew
Members:
AC W1 WEBER TL
P W1 WHITE PM
CE BLACKMORE H
G STONE
Accident Summary:
ON THE 7TH OF JANUARY 1973 I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE CAMP HOLLOWAY SAFETY OFFICER
THAT I WAS TO BE THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER ON AN ACCIDENT. AT APPROXIMATELY
11:30 HRS ON THE 7TH OF JANUARY, I WENT TO THE CRASH SCENE TO ATTEMPT TO RECOVER
THE AIRCRAFT AND UNDERTAKE THE INVESTIGATION. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE 7TH
OF JANUARY 1970, AT ABOUT 10:45 HRS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS A UH-1H, TAIL NUMBER
68-15686 AND IT WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 57TH AHC APO SF 96499. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST
PICKED UP FIVE PASSENGERS IN A PICKUP ZONE, KON HORING HELIPAD APPROXIMATELY
FIVE MILES SOUTHEAST OF DAK TO AIRFIELD. AIRCRAFT SUFFERED A HARD LANDING AND
ROLLED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT (PHOTO #3). THERE WAS
EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE SKIDS AND CROSSTUBES, MAIN ROTOR BLADES, HUB ASSEMBLY
AND A SEVERING OF ONE OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES. THE FUEL GAGE INDICATED
ONE-THOUSAND POUNDS OF FUEL ON BOARD. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO THE RIGHT
CARGO DOOR, CHIN BUBBLES AND RIGHT OR 1ST PILOT WINDSCREEN. THIS DAMAGE RESULTED
FROM THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE. THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE
CAME WHEN THE CREW HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WO1
WEBER, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN RPM AFTER TAKING CONTROL OF
THE AIRCRAFT AWAY FROM WO1 WHITE, THE FIRST PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE
GROUND AND RELLED ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE. BOTH THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AND THE 1ST
PILOT STATED THAT ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WERE INDICATING NORMALLY AT TAKEOFF.
THE FIRST INDICATION OF ANY TROUBLE WAS THE LOUD NOISE HEARD ORIGINATING FROM
THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED, BOUNCED ONCE MORE BECOMING
AIRBORNE AND CAME TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE. EVERYONE IN THE AIRCRAFT ESCAPED
WITHOUT INJURY EXCEPT THE GUNNER WHO SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. ALL INDICATIONS
POINT TO A COMPRESSOR STALL AS BEING THE FACTOR THAT LED TO THE LOSS OF POWER.
THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IN HEAVILY LOADED AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF IN A GENERALLY
DOWNWIND DIRECTION DID NOT LEAVE MANY, IF ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO THE CREW. THE
AIRCRAFT WAS AT LOW ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. WO1 WEBER CHOSE TO LAND IN THE
DIRECTION OF FLIGHT IN A CLEARING ALONGSIDE A ROAD. THE ONLY BARRIER OBSERVED
WAS THE BARBED WIRE FENCE WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. AFTER ARRIVAL AT
THE CRASH SITE, PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN, WITNESSES WERE LOCATED AND INTERVIEWED
AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE WAS EXAMINED. AFTER RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT
WRECKAGE THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER RETURNED TO KONTUM TO CONTINUE WITNESS
INTERVIEWS AND TO CHECK AIRCRAFT AND FLIGHT RECORDS. SUBSEQUENT TRIPS WERE MADE
TO KONTUM TO INSURE ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE HAD BEEN OBTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT
ENGINE WAS SUBMITTED FOR TEARDOWN ANALYSIS.
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15686
Date:
05/24/73
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: CR105335
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
68-15686
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 27 27 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6907 86 113 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6908 109 222 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6909 111 333 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6910 143 476 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6911 116 592 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
6912 140 732 WAX5AA 57 AVN CO AM FW VIETNAM RVN
7001 26 758 WC5CAA 604 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7002 0 758 WC5CAA 604 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
7003 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7004 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7005 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7006 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7007 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7008 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7009 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7010 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7011 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7012 0 758 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM
7101 0 758 NAT&GUARD NAT GDZI
7102 0 758 NAT&GUARD NAT GDZI
7103 0 758 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM
7104 4 762 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM
7105 71 833 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7106 100 933 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7107 99 1032 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7108 102 1134 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7109 90 1224 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7110 62 1286 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
7111 0 1286 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00
