SP5 Arthur G. Qualls, a 21 year old Married, Caucasian from Memphis Tennessee. His tour of duty with the 281st AHC began on July 11, 1968. Arthur was the crew chief on UH-1H 66-16009 when the aircraft crashed near Binh Thuan killing him and the door gunner SP5 Paul B. Lambertson. Arthur and Paul were the last individuals lost by the 281st Assault Helicopter Company in the Vietnam war and they shall never be forgotten.

Date: 05/20/1970
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16009
The Army purchased this helicopter 0267
Total flight hours at this point: 00001743
Incident number: 700520221ACD Accident case number: 700520221 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 281 AHC

The station for this helicopter was Nha Trang in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 5 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 4
costing 344345

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:
P W1 DW HENRY, Pilot, 281^st AHC
CP O3 RT PRIDDY, Co-_Pilot, Field Forces Staff Officer
CE SP5 QUALLS ARTHUR GERALD, 281^st AHC, KIA
G SP5 LAMBERTSON PAUL BRUCE, 281^st AHC, KIA

Accident Summary:

THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FORM A COMMAND AND CONTROL MISSION FOR THE 44TH ARVN REGIMENT AT SONG MAU, TINH BINH PROVINCE, RVN. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A CREW OF FOUR AND FOUR ARVN PASSENGERS ON BOARD AND HAD JUST DEPARTED POL AT SONG MAU WITH APPROXIMATELY 1235 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PILOT IS COMMAND, WHO WAS FLYING THE RIGHT SEAT, WAS TEN MINUTES OUT OF SONG MAU, ENROUTE TO NHA TRANG, WHEN HE DECIDED TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE PILOT A METHOD OF LOSING ALTITUDE QUICKLY BY DIVING THE AIRCRAFT TOWARD THE GROUND. HE BEGAN THE MANEUVER AT 1000 FT. AGL BY REDUCING POWER AND SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT. HE THEN PLACED THE AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND PROCEED TOWARD THE GROUND. HE STATED THAT HE DOES NOT BELIEVE HE EXCEEDED 95 KNOTS DURING THE MANEUVER. WHEN THE PILOT IN COMMAND ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER FROM THIS ATTITUDE, AT BOUT 300 FT. AGL, HE PULLED IN POWER BUT THE AIRCRAFT FAILED TO RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH. HE REMEMBERED SEEING THE ENGINE RPM PASSING THROUGH 6400 RPM BUT HE DID NOT HEAR THE RPM AUDIO NOR DID HE SEE THE LO RPM WARNING LIGHT. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATES THAT ALL HE HAD TIME TO DO WAS LEVEL THE AIRCRAFT AND HE CONTACTED THE GROUND AT APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS AND WITH CONSIDERABLE DOWN WARD FORCE. AT THE TIME IF IMPACT BOTH SKIDS TORE LOOSE AND THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN APPARENTLY CART WELLED FORWARD AND ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE, CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD AND LEFT FRONT DOORS TO TEAR OFF. IT THEN CONTINUED TO ROLL COMPLETELY OVER, TEARING OFF THE SKID UNDERCARRIAGE BEFORE STRIKING A GULLEY, WHICH WAS THREE TO FOUR FT. DEEP AT THE POINT OF IMPACT, AND COMING TO A HALT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TOTALLY CONSUMED BY FIRE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ONE ARVN SOLDIER, ALL PERSONS IN THE REAR OF THE HELICOPTER WERE FATALLY BURNED. THE ARVN WHO ESCAPED FATAL INJURY WAS SEVERELY BURNED, AS WERE THE PILOT IN COMMAND AND THE CO PILOT. BURNING WRECKAGE ALONG THE PATH AFTER IMPACT EVIDENCED THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAY HA VE STARTED TO BURN BEFORE FINAL IMPACT IN THE GULLEY.
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998

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