Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16507
The Army purchased this helicopter 0667
Total flight hours at this point: 00000255
Date: 01/01/1968
Accident case number: 680101021
Unit: 92 AHC
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 300
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
P W1 HAGEMAN J
Accident Summary:
Went IFR on short final. Crew could not see through bubble. Aircraft settled hard on ground
This record was last updated on 01/05/1997
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16507
The Army purchased this helicopter 0667
Total flight hours at this point: 00000641
Date: 06/25/1969
Accident case number: 690625271 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 129 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Din Binh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 4 . . Passengers = 1
costing 244345
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC W1 COOPER AB
P W1 STEWART GW
CE E3 HARGRAVE SL
G E3 MAW PA
Passengers:
UNK UNK, MFP, G;
Accident Summary:
ON 25 JUNE 1969, WO1 COOPER TOOK OFF ON A MISSION TO SUPPORT THE 4TH INF DIV. AT APPROXIMATELY 0915 HOURS, WHILE INROUTE TO THE FIRST PZ, THE FLIGHT WAS CROSSING RUGGED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN WHICH MR. COOPER WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH SINCE HIS UNIT SELDOM HAD MISSIONS IN THIS AREA. MR. STEWART WAS AT THE CONTROLS WHILE FLYING IN FORMATION AT AN INDICATED ALTITUDE OF 3,000' OR AT ABOUT 1600' AGL. THE FLIGHT WAS HEADED APPROXIMATELY NORTH WHEN THE CREW, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MR. COOPER, HEARD 3 THUMPS, AND SIMULTANOUSLY THE MASTER CAUTION AND CHIP DETECTOR LIGHTS CAME ON. AT THIS POINT MR. COOPER TOOK THE CONTROLS, BEGAN A DESENDING LEFT TURN TOWARD A MORE SUITABLE AREA AND RADIOED A MAY DAY CALL. THE PILOT, MR. STEWART, SCANNED THE INSTRUMENTS AND FOUND THEM ALL IN THE GREEN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CHIP DETECTOR AND MASTER CAUTION LIGHTS. COOPER HAD DESCENDED SOME 800' IN 30 SECONDS BEFORE HE FELT THE ENGINE LOOSING POWER AND VERIFIED THIS BY AN AUDIBLE DECREASE IN THE ENGINE NOISE LEVEL, AS WELL AS A DECREASING GAS PRODUCER READING. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT MR. COOPER DECIDED TO ENTER AUTOROTATION AND HE ROLLED OFF THE THROTTLE, BOTTOMED COLLECTIVE, AND BEGAN A DESCENT TOWARDS WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE AN OPEN AREA. IT WAS AT ABOUT 200' AGL THAT MR. COOPER REALIZED THAT THE AREA HE WAS SHOOTING FOR WAS UNSUITABLE IN THAT IT WAS COVERED WITH STUMPS AND HAD A HIGH DEGREE OF SLOPE TO IT. SPOTTING ANOTHER AREA SOME 50 TO 75 METERS BEYOND AND TO THE RIGHT (NORTH) OF THE ORIGINAL AREA, MR. COOPER CHANGED HIS INTENTIONS AND DECIDED TO TRY FOR THE MORE SUITABLE AREA. AT THIS TIME HE PULLED IN SOME PITCH TO EXTEND HIS GLIDE HOPING TO MAKE THE ALTERNATE AREA. IT WAS THEN THAT THE PILOT, MR. STEWART, NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE GAUGE READ 30 POUNDS. THIS WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 100 AGL. SHORTLY AFTER THE TRANSMISSION OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON THE GAS PRODUCER HAD DECREASED TO A READING OF SOME 30%. AT ABOUT 20' AGL, MR. STEWART READ THE ROTOR TACH AT 230, WELL OUT OF THE GREEN. MR. COOPER, MEANWHILE CONTINUED HIS DESCENT FOR THE AREA, LEAVING SOME PITCH IN THE BLADES KNOWING THE ROTOR WAS FAR FROM OPTIMUM RPM. FEELING THAT A DECELERATION FLARE WOULD CAUSE HIM TO FALL SHORT OF HIS INTENDED LANDING POINT, HE WENT IN THE LAST 75' IN A SOMEWHAT LEVEL ATTITUDE. AS THE SHIP STARTED CRASHING INTO A BAMBOO THICKET, MR. COOPER PULLED HIS REMAINING PITCH (10-12 AGL) TO CUSHION ON. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SOME 10 FEET FROM THE INTENDED OPEN AREA AND AFTER HITTING THE GROUND THERE WAS NO FURTHER MOVEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16507
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 0667.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6706 11 11 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6707 25 36 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6708 7 43 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6709 14 57 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6710 0 57 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6711 3 60 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6712 93 153 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6801 102 255 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6802 0 255 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6803 0 255 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 6804 0 255 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6805 0 255 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6806 0 255 8005 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6807 0 255 8005 OPM SEA NITEOPS 1ST ARMY FORT BELVOIR AMC 6808 0 255 8005 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6809 0 255 8005 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6810 0 255 8005 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6811 0 255 8005 POST SUPPLY 6TH ARMY FORT ORD 6TH ARMY 6812 0 255 8005 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6901 0 255 3300 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6902 37 292 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6903 107 399 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6904 113 512 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6905 129 641 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6906 0 641 WCLNAA 79 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN