The aircraft was on a maintenance flight when the engine failed on short final. On autorotation, the aircraft touched down and th nose of the aircraft settled into soft sand. The main rotor flexed and a blade struck the tail rotor drive cover and the section of the tail rotor drive forward of the gear box.
This record was last updated on 04/13/1997
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-17122
The Army purchased this helicopter 1267
Total flight hours at this point: 00001377
Date: 03/29/1969
Accident case number: 690329231 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 281 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Pleiku / Bien Ho CA in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 2 . . 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 O2 SOREM RM
P O2 FISHER RE
CE E4 WARE JA
G E4 SCHULKE RL
Passengers:
O4 LYNN, FCO, G;
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ^NHA TRANG, RVN^, ENROUTE TO A CLASSIFIED LOCATION TO ESTABLISH A FORWARD OPERATING BASE. A HOVER CHECK WAS MADE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A NORMAL CREW OF FOUR AND 400 POUNDS OF BAGGAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE IN A FORMATION OF TWELVE AIRCRAFT. ^1/LT FISHER^, THE PILOT, WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLIGHT. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES IN FLIGHT CRUISING AT 80 KNOTS AND 2500 FEET MSS, THE CREW CHIEF AND THE GUNNER BOTH HEARD A LARGE SNAP OR EXPLOSION JUST PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE. ^1/LT FISHER^ ALSO HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. ^1/LT SOREM^, THE AC, FELT THE AIRCRAFT SHUDDER ONCE. HE SPOTTED THE ENGINE RPM FALLING THRU 6000. ^1/LT SOREM^ TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OBSERVED THE ENGING RPM DETERIORATE AND N1 DROP TO ZERO. HE TOLD ^1/LT FISHER^ TO CALL THE COMMAND AND CONTROL AIRCRAFT AND INFORM THEM HE WOULD TRY TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON THE VALLEY FLOOR AT THE ^VUNG RO PASS^. TO CLEAR THE RIDGE LINE, AT THE MOUTH OF THE PASS, ^1/LT SOREM^ HAD TO BLEED THE ROTOR TO 310 RPM. ONCE OVER THE RIDGE LINE, HE BUILT THE ROTOR RPM BACK UP TO 324. ^1/LT SOREM^ HELD THE AIRCRAFT AT 100 KNOTS TO GET THE MAXIMUM RATE OF GLIDE IN ORDER TO REACH THE VALLEY FLOOR. REALIZING THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO REACH HIS INTENDED LANDING SITE, HE ELECTED TO PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN THE CREEK BED, WHICH WAS THE ONLY AVAILABLE LANDING AREA. TO REACH THE CREEK BED, ^1/LT SOREM^ HAD TO BLEED THE ROTOR RPM TO A POINT THAT THERE WASN'T SUFFICIENT RPM TO ADEQUATELY CUSHION THE LANDING. THE AFT PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE TREES JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT TEARING OFF THE TAIL BOOM. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE CREEK BED WITH A SLIGHTLY NOSE-LOW ATITTUDE DUE TO THE SLOPE OF THE CREEK BED. THE AIRCRAFT SLID APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET AFTER IMPACT. THE IMPACT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO TEAR THE SKIDS FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND SEPARATE THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD FROM THE MAST. THE MAIN ROTOR SLICED OFF THE UPPER LEFT PORTION OF THE COCKPIT. THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUNCTURED AND RAISED BY ROCKS IN THE CREEK BED. THE COMMAND AND CONTROL AIRCRAFT CALLED DUST OFF AT ^PHU HIEP^ AND A DUST OFF HELICOPTER EVACUATED THE CREW TO THE 91ST EVACUATION HOSPITAL IN ^PHU HEIP^.\\
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-17122
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 1267.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 196712 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR 196801 56 56 3410 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 196802 111 167 3410 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 196803 120 287 3410 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 196804 110 397 3410 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 196805 44 441 3410 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 196806 93 534 3410 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 196807 87 621 3410 OPM SEA NITEOPS 1ST ARMY FORT BELVOIR AMC 196808 103 724 3410 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 196809 92 816 3410 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 196810 52 868 3410 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 196811 70 938 WFJFAA 281 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196812 161 1099 WFJFAA 281 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196901 96 1195 WFJFAA 281 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196902 110 1305 WFJFAA 281 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196903 72 1377 WFJFAA 281 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
Printed from databases on: 12/16/2016
Return to Main Index
Copyright © 1998 - 2016 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association