Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail
number 68-16363
The Army purchased this helicopter 1069
Total flight hours
at this point: 00002286
Date: 09/10/72
Accident case number: 720910041
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Camp Holloway in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing
4938
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation
Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1
DARBY EC
CP O2 HOLDEN
LJ
CE E5 STRONG RL
G E4 HUGHES SA
Passengers:
O6 UNK, PAX,
G; X1 UNK, PAX, G; X1 UNK, PAX, G;
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.
Tabular Data unavailable on mobile device
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
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00