AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING IN A ONE SHIP LZ WITH MANY STUMPS. WHILE TURNING TAIL TO SET DOWN BLADE STRKE OCCURRED, CAUSING TOTAL DAMAGE TO BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES. INSPECTION REVEALED 3@ X 6@ RIP 8@-12@ FROM LEADING EDGE AND TIP OF BOTH BLADES.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16260
The Army purchased this helicopter 0969
Total flight hours at this point: 00000925
Date: 09/29/1970
Accident case number: 700929131
Unit: B/158 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Phu Bai in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 83635
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 WYNN HA
P W1 HORNE JW
Accident Summary:
ON 29 SEP 1970 AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 HOURS, UH-1H AIRCRAFT NUMBER 68-16260 EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING AFTER FLYING FOUR HOURS THAT DAY. ACCORDING TO THE CREW MEMBERS, ALL FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS HAD REMAINED IN NORMAL OPERATING RANGES DURING THE FLIGHT AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT A FAILURE WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. AT 2,000FEET AGL WITH A LOAD OF AN ESTIMATED 1,000 POUNDS OF RICE, TWO ARVN SOLDIERS AND 1,100 POUNDS OF FUEL, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT AND A LOSS OF POWER WAS FELT AND NOTED ON THE INSTRUMENTS. FROM AN ALTITUDE OF 2,000 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT WAS AUTOROTATED TO A SMALL AREA CONTAINING LARGE BOULDERS BY THE EDGE OF A RIVER. THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN WAS MOUNTAINOUS WITH TALL TREES. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER HELD IN AN ESTIMATED ONE FOURTH OF THE COLLECTIVE PITCH TO KEEP THE ROTOR RPM FROM OVERSPEEDING. TO GET INTO THE AREA WITHOUT HITTING THE SURROUNDING TREES, THE FORWARD AIRSPEED WAS DISSIPATED TO ZERO AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET OF ALTITUDE OVER THE LANDING AREA AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOWERED VERTICALLY. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH COLLECTIVE PITCH AVAILABLE TO STOP THE RATE OF DESCENT AND THE AIRCRAFT FELL THE LAST THREE FEET WITHOUT ANY CUSHION FROM THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD WITH THE RIGHT FRONT SKIDS LANDING ON A BOULDER, DRIVING THE TOE OF THE SKID UP INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SKIDS WERE SPREAD DUE TO THE HARD LANDING.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16260
Date: 720900
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: ZA212537
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: VNAF (South Vietnamese Air Force. )
Loss to Inventory
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16260
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 0969.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6909 0 0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT IN TRANSIT AVCOMCTR 6910 36 36 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6911 77 113 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6912 72 185 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7001 89 274 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7002 66 340 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7003 41 381 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7004 53 434 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7005 106 540 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7006 108 648 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7007 75 723 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7008 109 832 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7009 93 925 WFJ4B0 COB 158BN 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7010 0 925 W0Y6AA USA FLT OPN OFC 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AMC 7011 0 925 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7012 0 925 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7101 0 925 WC5CAA 604TH TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
Printed from databases on: 05/21/2000
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