Accident Summary:
THE FLIGHT WAS A NORMAL TEST FLIGHT WITH^CW2 BUCOVE^,AS AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, SITTING IN THE RIGHT SEAT AND^WO1 INCE^,AS PILOT, SITTING IN THE LEFT SEAT. THERE WERE NO OTHER CREW SEATS OR SEAT BELTS ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND GUNS WERE NOT MOUNTED. THE WHOLE CREW WAS NOTIFIED OF EACH MANEUVER BY^CW2 BUCOVE^PRIOR TO IT BEING INITIATED. THREE NORMAL APPROACHES WERE MADE TO THE BEACH. THE FOURTH APPROACH WAS SHALLOW ALONG ON APPROACH HEADING OF 105 DEG. A SLIGHT LEFT CRAB WAS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE APPROACH. ALL INSTRUMENTS WERE NORMAL AND THE AIRSPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 KNOTS. THE LEFT SKID CONTACTED THE GROUND LIGHTLY, ONCE 83 FEET 8 INCHES FROM THE POINT OF FINAL REST AND ONCE AT 57 FEET; THE SECOND TIME BEING THE HARDER OF THE TWO. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER WAS UNAWARE THAT THE SKIDS HAD YET TOUCHED DOWN. IT IS POSSIBLE HOWEVER, THAT THE SECOND TIME THE LEFT SKID HIT, IT MAY HAVE TOUCHED DOWN WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO PITCH THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT, WHERE THE RIGHT SKID TOE CAUGHT IN THE SAND. ^CW2 BUCOVE^APPARENTLY INTERPRETED THIS TWO ACTION MOVEMENT AS THE ONE SINGLE INCIDENT WHICH CAUSED THE RIGHT SKID TO CATCH. IT IS AT THIS POINT, 42 FEET 5 INCHES FROM THE POINT OF FINAL REST, THAT THE RIGHT SKID TOE DUG INTO THE SAND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO LUNGE TO THE RIGHT. ^CW2 BUCOVE'S^CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS A FULL LEFT APPLICATION OF CYCLIC AND PULLING OF COLLECTIVE. AT THIS POINT THE "WHITE" MAIN ROTOR BLADE IS SURMISED TO HAVE CONTACTED THE SYNCHRONIZED ELEVATOR AND THE TAILBOOM, 18 INCHES FORWARD OF THE VERTICLE FIN, SHEARING THE DRIVE SHAFT AND RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE REACTION WAS A FURTHER LUNGING OF THE TAIL TO THE RIGHT AND A ROLLING OF THE AIRCRAFT ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A FINAL REST ON A HEADING OF 350 DEG, 83 FEET 8 INCHES FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL TOUCH DOWN. AT NO TIME DURING THE ENTIRE FLIGHT WAS THE PILOT^WO1 INCE^,AT THE CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT. ^SP/4 SERPA^HAD BEEN THROWN OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT CARGO DOOR AS IT ROLLED AND WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND JUST OUTSIDE THE RIGHT CARGO DOOR. THE CREW CHIEF AND GUNNER REMAINED IN THE CREW COMPARTMENTS UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16028
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0267
Total flight hours at this point:
00002016
Date: 07/19/71
Accident case number: 710719251 Total loss or
fatality Accident
Unit: 92 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Dong
Ba Thin 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:
P W1 BOOHER
HR
CP W1 EDDY JD
CE E5 BROWNLEE AW
G E4 MOORE TS
Passengers:
E3 RT JUSTIN, OAY, D;
Accident Summary:
ON 19 JULY 1971 AT 1915 HOURS ARMY AIRCRAFT ^66-16028^, A UH-1H ^NIGHT HAWK HELICOPTER^, DEPARTED FLANDERS HELIPORT AT DONG BA THIN AND LANDED AT THE VAGABOND PAD TO PICK UP THE MISSIONS FOR THAT NIGHT. THE FIRST MISSIONS WENT WITHOUT DIFFICULTY AND THE HELICOPTER WAS SHUT DOWN AT FLANDERS. AT APPROXIMATELY 2315 HOURS THEY AGAIN DEPARTED TO ASSIST ^INFANT 2^ IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF A SIGHTING MADE IN DONG BA THIN BAY. THE CO-PILOT HAD THE CONTROLS FOR THE FIRST TEN MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT AND THEN THE PILOT TOOK THE AIRCRAFT AND DESCENDED TO 110 FEET INDICATED TO CHECK OUT THE SIGHTING. THE PILOT, ^WO1 BOOHER^, MADE ONE PASS OVER THE OBJECT AND FOUND IT TO BE A SAMPAN. HE WAS HESITANT TO MAKE A SECOND PASS DUE TO TURBULANCE AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN, WHICH IS THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF DONG BA THIN BAY, BUT DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE PASS. HE FLEW OUTBOUND FOR THREE TO FOUR MINUTES AND MADE A 180 DEGREE RIGHT TURN. AFTER TURNING INBOUND THE PILOT WAS CONTACTED BY ^INFANT 2^, WHICH STATED HIS POSITION, AND REQUESTED THE ALTITUDE OF AIRCRAFT ^66-16028^. ^WO1 BOOHER^ REPORTED INBOUND AT 100 FEET AND 55 KNOTS. AT THIS TIME ^WO1 BOOHER^ GLANCED AT HIS INSTRUMENTS AND NOTICED THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. JUST A FEW SECONDS LATER ^WO1 BOOHER^ FELT A SLIGHT JERK ON THE IARCRAFT BUT DISMISSED IT AS TURBULANCE. HOWEVER, HE PULLED PITCH AND APPLIED FORWARD CYCLIC. WHILE IN A LEFT TURN HE GLANCED OUT HIS WINDOW AND SAW THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE WATER. ^WO1 BOOHER^ ONLY HAD TIME TO KEY THE MIKE TO TELL ^INFANT 2^ THAT HE WAS IN TROUBLE WHEN THE LEFT SKID AND MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE WATER. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED ON ITS LEFT SIDE AND SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET. THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND ACCOUNTED FOR EACH OTHER. ^SP4 MOORE^, THE DOOR GUNNER, WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE CREW INJURED. HE RECEIVED A SEVERE LACERATION ABOVE HIS RIGHT EYE. MINUTES LATER HE WAS EVACUATED TO THE ^10TH BATTALION DISPENSARY^. APPROXIMATELY TWENTY MINUTES LATER THE REMAINING CREW MEMBERS WERE EVACUATED TO THE ^10TH BATTALION DISPENSARY^.\\
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1D tail number
66-16028
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 0267.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6702 0 1 W0Y6AA TRAN MDMHELCO S ALASKA ALASKA 6703 6 7 W1D44G 7TH SQ 17 CAV 1STARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 6704 1 8 1440 ARMY AVN DIV 6TH ARMY DUGWAY PG TEVALCOM 6705 17 25 1440 ARMY AVN DIV 6TH ARMY DUGWAY PG TEVALCOM 6706 19 44 1440 USARV FLT DET VIETNAM RVN 6707 29 73 1440 USARV FLT DET VIETNAM RVN 6708 37 110 1440 BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 6709 0 110 W1D44G 7TH SQ 17 CAV 1STARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 6710 0 110 W1D44G 7TH SQ 17 CAV 1STARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 6711 28 138 WAZNC0 CTRP 7SQ 17CAV VIETNAM RVN 6712 57 195 WAZNC0 CTRP 7SQ 17CAV VIETNAM RVN 6801 52 247 WAZNC0 CTRP 7SQ 17CAV VIETNAM RVN 6802 57 304 WAZNC0 CTRP 7SQ 17CAV VIETNAM RVN 6803 30 334 WAZNT0 HQ 7 SQ 17 CAV VIETNAM RVN 6804 64 398 WAZNT0 HQ 7 SQ 17 CAV VIETNAM RVN 6805 68 466 3304 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6806 8 474 3304 355 AVN CO 4TH ARMY FORT SILL 4TH ARMY 6807 105 579 3304 OPM SEA NITEOPS 1ST ARMY FORT BELVOIR AMC 6808 83 662 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6809 65 727 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6810 74 801 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6811 45 846 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6812 86 932 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6901 70 1002 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6902 53 1055 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6903 19 1074 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6904 35 1109 WG20AA F TRP 8CAV AMDV VIETNAM RVN 6905 53 1162 WE4HAA 142 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 6906 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6907 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6908 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6909 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6910 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6911 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 6912 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7001 0 1162 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7002 0 1162 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7003 0 1162 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7004 0 1162 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7005 0 1162 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7006 5 1167 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7007 0 1167 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7008 0 1167 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7009 17 1184 WFJGAA 282 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7010 61 1245 WFJGAA 282 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7011 80 1325 WFJGAA 282 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7012 75 1400 WFJGAA 282 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7101 77 1477 WFJGAA 282 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7102 65 1542 WFJGAA 282 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7103 99 1641 WFJGAA 282 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7104 86 1727 WFJGAA 282 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7105 51 1778 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7106 166 1944 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7107 72 2016 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law
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