Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail
number 66-16282
Date: 11/17/67
Accident case number: 671117271 Total loss
or fatality Accident
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 0 . .
Passengers = 1
costing 3000
Source(s) from which the incident was created
or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1
MAURER F
Passengers:
X1 NO NAME, PAX, A;
Accident Summary:
An ARVN soldier stood up under the rotor blade four feet from the end of the
blade. The impact was fatal and a four inch hole was made in the blade.
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16282
Date:
02/19/68 MIA-POW file reference number: 1054
Incident number: 68021942.KIA
Unit: 57 AHC
Laos
UTM grid coordinates: YB665498
Casualties = 03
BNR, 01 DIN, 02 W . .
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the
incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes.
Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 1054, SOG Vol III by
Saal P:237+ , SOG by Plaster P:200+ ()
Summary: Shot down and crashed during
Recon Team extraction. SSG Zabitosky won the Medal of Honor for rescuing the
pilots.
Loss to Inventory
Crew:
DYE,MELVIN C; GLOVER DJ GRIFFITH
RS
Crew Members:
P WO1 COOK JOHN W KIA
CE SSG
DYE MELVIN CARNILLS
BNR
G SSG GRIFFITH ROBERT SMITH BNR
AC CPT GRIFFITH R
WIA
Passengers:
SFC GLOVER DOUGLAS J, AR, PX, BNR; SSG Zabitosky Fred
W, AR, PX, WIA;
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: Melvin
Dye was the engineer and Robert
Griffith the door gunner aboard a UH-1H helicopter performing an emergency
extraction mission in Laos. They were extracting a reconnaissance patrol team
consisting of three U.S. Army Special Forces personnel and three indigenous
personnel. The aircraft carried a crew of four. Douglas Glover was one of the
Special Forces personnel aboard. As the helicopter picked up the team four miles
inside Laos west of Dak Sut, it received a heavy volume of small arms fire. It
is not known whether the aircraft was hit by hostile fire or hit a tree, but it
nosed over, impacted the ground and exploded, bursting into flames. The pilot,
co-pilot WO Cook and one passenger Special Forces Sergeant Fred W. Zabitosky
managed to leave the aircraft. Because of the fire and exploding small arms
ammunition, rescue attempts for the others were futile. Cook died later in Japan
from burns. Zabitosky was awarded the Medal of Honor. See Zabitosky's story in
Vietnam magazine February 1996. There were six U.S. and three indigenous
personnel aboard the helicopter. When search teams reached the site the same
day, they could not account for the other U.S. personnel. Five were accounted
for, but could not be recovered because of intense heat
War Story:
Special Forces Staff Sergeant Fred W. Zabitosky was at the
end of a normal six-month active mission cycle with FOB 2 based at Kontum. He
was the One-Zero, team leader, of RT Maine but on this mission was helping SSG
Glover become the new team leader, so 'Zab' was the One-One, assistant team
leader. On 18 Feb., RT Maine was inserted into 'The Bra,' the river curve where
Highway 110 split eastward from Highway 96, the Ho Chi Minh Trail's major
north-south route. Their mission was to learn whether the NVA were pulling back,
reinforcing or resupplying their Tet offensive activities in the Central
Highlands. Not long after their insertion, they made and broke contact. There
were at least two other RTs active in this same area, so they had to wait their
turn for airstrikes and worked their way back to the LZ. The NVA had set up
12.7mm guns around the LZ and the USAF Covey FAC could see at least four NVA
companies converging on the LZ. The NVA launched two assaults on the nine-man
team's position but were stopped by napalm, cannon fire, and the team's weapons.
Covey had the team run 150 yards to an alternate LZ. The first slick lifted out
one SF and two Yards which left Zab, Glover and four Yards still on the ground.
The NVA then struck in four successive waves which were all stopped but the team
was almost out of ammo. It was now or never. The second slick went in as
gunships and jets blasted the area. Both the NVA and Maine seemed to be racing
for the helicopter. The door gunners and the SOG men were shooting like mad. Zab
recalls that the NVA were so close that blood from one he shot splatted the
Huey. They were 75 feet up and almost clear of the LZ when an RPG blast rocked
the Huey, spinning the tail boom into the main blades. Zab came to about 20 feet
from the Huey and rolled clumsily on the ground to extinguish his burning
clothes. The Huey had snapped in two just behind the pilots' section and burned
furiously. The troop compartment lay on its side and Zab heard the final cries
from the three Americans and four Yards in the burning wreckage. Zab moved away
from the wreckage then looked back to see the pilots still strapped in the
burning nose section. He returned, opened the door and grabbed the semiconscious
WO Cook and pulled him out. Everything was burned off the man except his leather
gun belt. The pilot was still inside. Zab could feel his flesh burning as he
undid the pilot's harness. The fuel cells exploded in the other section and blew
both Zab and the pilot clear. Overhead SF medic Luke Nance had watched these
events in horror but had seen Zab. The pilot made a couple of passes and
confirmed there were survivors. This ship landed. Together Nance and Zab carried
and dragged the two burned pilots to the Huey and they escaped. SSG Fred
Zabitosky received the Medal of Honor for his actions that saved the lives of
two 57th AHC pilots. Sadly, WO Cook passed away ten days later in Japan due to
burn related injuries.
UPDATE: In 2010 the remains of SSG Robert Griffith, SSG Melvin Dye, and SFC Richard Glover were identified by the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
This record was last updated on 06/14/98
The following is crew member information for this incident:
Name: WO1 John W. Cook
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/19/68
while performing the duty of Pilot.
Died 10 days later on 02/29/68.
Age at
death: 21.2
Date of Birth: 12/13/46
Home City: Long Beach, CA
Service:
AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC
Major
organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 67-17
Service: AV branch
of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 42E-003
Short Summary: Shot down by
B-40 or RPG. Pulled out by SF SGT Zabitosky. Died in Japan later of burns. CPT
R. Griffin AC. 1st 57 AHC pilot KIA
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number
66-16282
Service number: W3157737
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B =
Helicopter Pilot, Utility and Light Cargo Single Rotor
Primary cause: B-40 or
RPG
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Started Tour: 11/13/67
"Official"
listing: ground casualty
Location: Pleiku Province II Corps.
Military grid
coordinates of event: YB665498
Reason: burns
Casualty type: Hostile - died
of wounds
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant
- no denominational preference
The following information is secondary, but
may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the
Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class:
warrant officer
This record was last updated on 01/30/98
Name: SSG Melvin Carnills
Dye Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on
02/19/68 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Declared dead on
10/28/77.
Age at death: 20.7
Date of Birth: 05/22/47
Home City:
Carleton, MI
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57
AHC
Major organization: USARV
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location:
40E-019
Short Summary: Shot down after picking up a Special Forces Recon
team. Pax Douglas J. Glover and gunner Robert S. Griffith also
killed.
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16282
SSN: 406629829
Country:
Laos
MOS: 67N40 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause:
aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle
involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew member
Vehicle ownership:
government
Started Tour: 03/25/67
"Official" listing: helicopter air
casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: missing in
action - bonified
Length of service: *
Military grid coordinates of event:
YB665498
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died
while missing
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion:
Protestant - no denominational preference
The following information is
secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as
defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army
Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on
07/26/97
Name: SFC Douglas J. Glover
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on
02/19/68 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Declared dead on
11/12/76.
Age at death: 24.8
Date of Birth: 05/02/43
Home City:
Cortland, NY
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: SPECIAL
FORCES
Major organization: Special Forces
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall
location: 40E-021
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16282
SSN: 120341457
Country: Laos
MOS: 11BS = Infantryman
Major attributing cause:
aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle
involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Vehicle ownership:
government
Started Tour: 09/13/67
"Official" listing: helicopter air
casualty - non-aircrew
The initial status of this person was: missing in
action - bonified
Length of service: *
Military grid coordinates of event:
YB665498
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died
while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman
Catholic
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining
this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead
Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted
personnel
This record was last updated on 07/26/97
Name: SSG Robert Smith Griffith
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident
on 02/19/68 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Declared dead on
10/22/74.
Age at death: 25.1
Date of Birth: 12/26/42
Home City:
Hapeville, GA
Service: component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC
Major
organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location:
40E-032
Short Summary: Shot down after picking up a Special Forces Recon
team.
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-16282
SSN: 260662768
Country:
Laos
MOS: 11B4F = Infantryman
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected
not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved:
helicopter
Position in vehicle: door gunner
Vehicle ownership:
government
Started Tour: 12/01/67
"Official" listing: helicopter air
casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: missing in
action - bonified
Length of service: *
Military grid coordinates of event:
YB665498
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died
while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion:
Protestant - no denominational preference
The following information is
secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as
defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army
Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on
07/26/97
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1D tail number
66-16282
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 .
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
6802 0 0 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM LA
Printed from databases on: 08/27/00
