Helicopter UH-1H 68-16525

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16525
The Army purchased this helicopter 1269
Total flight hours at this point: 00000101
Date: 02/06/1970
Incident number: 700206191ACD Accident case number: 700206191 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 = 1 . . Passengers = 4
costing 445145
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 LESONIK RL
P W1 O REILLY TARRY THOMAS KIA
CE SP5 KAISER FRANK MELVIN KIA
G SP5 JOHNSON ALAN HOWARD KIA
P WO1 OREILLY TARRY THOMAS KIA

Passengers:
UNK, MS, G; X1 HUYNH VS, , PX, KIA; X1 HUYNH, PAX, G; 1LT DILORENZO RAYMOND JOHN, AR, PX, KIA;

Accident Summary:

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A SUPPORT MISSION FOR MACV TEAM 42, BINH DINH PROVINCE, RVN, APO 96238. THE MISSION CARRIED THEM FROM QUIN NHON TO VINH QUANG WHERE THEY MADE A STOP TO OFF LOAD A DECEASED PERSON. THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO TUY PHUOC ON THE SECOND LEG OF THE MISSION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAVELING AT AN ESTIMATED ALTITUDE OF 200-300 FEET AGL AT AN UNDETERMINED AIRSPEED. IT WAS HEADED IN A NORTH WESTERLY DIRECTION WHEN WITNESSES NOTICED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT PITCH UP AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT MADE A DESCENDING LEFT TURN AS THOUGH IN AUTOROTATION. A CLANKING OR LOUD RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT, SMOKE OR FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE COWLING BELOW THE SWASH PLATE ASSEMBLY JUST BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT MADE A LEFT DESCENDING TURN. THIS TURN TO THE AIRCRAFT'S FINAL HEADING OF 150 PLACED THE AIRCRAFT IN A DOWNWIND LANDING SITUATION. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED WITH EXCESSIVE FORWARD AIRSPEED, STRUCK THE GROUND RIGHT SKID FIRST. AFTER IMPACT IT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET BEFORE STRIKING A 2 FOOT BY A 2 FOOT DIKE. IT THEN TRAVELED 25 FEET MORE WHERE IT STRUCK A 4 FOOT HIGH BANK AND BURST INTO FLAMES. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN COMING APART AND THE ROTOR ASSEMBLY SEPARATED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 110 FEET THROUGH THE AIR BEFORE IMPACTING AGAIN. FROM THIS POINT THE FUSELAGE SLID AND TUMBLED ANOTHER 90 FEET WHERE IT CAME TO REST AND BURNED.\\

This record was last updated on 09/20/1998

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: 1LT Raymond John Dilorenzo
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/06/1970 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Died 1 days later on 02/07/1970.
Age at death: 25.5
Date of Birth: 07/27/1944
Home City: Edna, KS
Service: EN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: MACV
Major organization: MACV advisors
Service: EN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 14W-111
Short Summary: Aircraft accident.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16525
SSN: 052362062
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1328 = 13 Engineer Construction Unit Commander
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Started Tour: 10/02/1969
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: 02
Location: Binh Dinh Province II Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
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: officer
This record was last updated on 07/29/1995

Name: X1 V. S. Huynh
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/06/1970 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Service: Unknown service.
Unit: 281 AHC
Service: Unknown service.
Short Summary: Aircraft accident.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16525
Country: South Vietnam
This record was last updated on 07/30/1995

Name: SP5 Alan Howard Johnson
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/06/1970 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Age at death: 21.8
Date of Birth: 05/02/1948
Home City: South Ozone Park, NY
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 281 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 14W-107
Short Summary: Aircraft accident.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16525
SSN: 069382751
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N2F = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: door gunner
Started Tour: 09/19/1968
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 01
Location: Binh Dinh Province II Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Negro
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 07/28/1994

Name: SP5 Frank Melvin Kaiser
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/06/1970 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 22.8
Date of Birth: 05/07/1947
Home City: Madison, MN
Service: component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 281 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 14W-108
Short Summary: Aircraft accident.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16525
SSN: 475560714
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N2F = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Started Tour: 04/24/1969
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 01
Location: Binh Dinh Province II Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
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 07/24/1994

Name: WO1 Tarry Thomas O'Reilly
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/06/1970 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Died 4 days later on 02/10/1970.
Age at death: 20.7
Date of Birth: 05/30/1949
Home City: Plymouth, ME
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 281 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 69-39/69-37
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 14W-123
Short Summary: Aircraft accident.
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16525
SSN: 006507458
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 100B = Utility/Observation Helicopter Pilot
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 01/04/1970
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Location: Binh Dinh Province II Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
single 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: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 07/29/1994

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16525
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 1269.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

 
DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
196912   2    2 WE4HAA 142 TC DS        VIETNAM                     RVN     
197001  99  101 WFJFAA 281 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN      
197002   0  101 3410   7 CORPS SPT COM  GERMANY                     EUROPE

Please send additions or corrections to:

Gary Roush

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Printed from databases on: 12/16/2016

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