Historical Data Display for Aircraft 66-00738

Model: UH-1C
Date Purchased: Jan 1967
Service with Rattlers & Firebirds: From Jan 1969 To Oct 1969
Flight Hours: Beginning 903 / Ending 1,318 -> Hours Flown: 415

Aircraft Accident/Incident History

Date: 21 Dec 1967
Description:
Total flight hours at this point: 204
Unit: C/7/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was an Unknown mission
While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0150 feet and 100 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
(SECONDARY EXPL)
The helicopter was hit in the Forward area
Systems damaged were: MAIN ROTOR SYS
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: LNOF, 74546, JSIDR (Lindenmuth Old Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report.)

Date: 02 Jan 1968
Description:
Total flight hours at this point: 273
Unit: C/7/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission for Armed Recon
While Enroute this helicopter was at Level Flight at 0075 feet and 070 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 5 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Passenger Cargo Section
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 WIA . .
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: UH1P3, 00206 ()

Date: 11 Nov 1969
Description:
Total flight hours at this point: 1,332
Accident case number: 691111161
Unit: 71 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 110181
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 ALSOP JM
P O3 DORNE JJ
CE E4 HOSS JL
G E4 CAMERON DM

Accident Summary:

Aircraft departed the 71st AHC flight line at Chu Lai. The aircraft was equipped with a M21 armament system (miniguns and rockets). The crew was instructed to refuel at Tam Ky and then escort two UH-1H's on a sniffer mission. Due to reduced visibility the crew was informed that the sniffer mission was cancelled and their new mission was to act as escort for a CA mission at 0915. The aircraft was then flown to LZ Center to join the slicks for the CA. Cover was established for the slicks by making gun runs from west to east, using left hand breaks. The runs were started at 80 knots at 1500 feet and break off occurring at 110 knots at 1000 feet. Following the second run, returning for a third, while in straight and level flight at 1000 feet and audible "pop" was heard followed by a grinding noise from the engine. The engine quit and WO Alsop, who was at the controls at the time, immediately entered autorotation. The only suitable area for landing was directly behind the aircraft. WO Alsop executed a 180 deg turn towards the area, which placed the aircraft in a downwind condition with a tailwind of an estimated 5 to 8 knots. During the autorotation, airspeed was 78 knots and the rotor tachometer indicated 350 rpm. the VSI was indicating in excess of 2000 feet per minute descent. This high rate of descent can be attributed to the load on the aircraft. Relatively little fuel had been consumed since the aircraft had been airborne for less than an hour. Also, since this was their second gun run, almost a full component of ammunition was still aboard. The ammunition consisted of 14 HE rockets (17 pound), 6000 rounds 7.62 minigun ammunition, and 3000 rounds of 7.62 door gun ammunition. The aircraft was flared at approximately 75 feet. A rice paddy dike was in the direct flight path and rotor rpm was sacrificed to glide over it. With the reduced rotor rpm, the effective lift was lost and the aircraft contacted the rice paddy surface with a forward speed of an estimated 8 to 10 knots. The viscidity of the rice paddy (4 to 6 inches of mud covered with approximately 1 inch of water) quickly reduced the forward motion of the aircraft. The sudden stoppage of forward movement caused the gear to collapse and the tailboom to rotate upward. The main rotor struck the tailboom just forward of the 42 deg gear box. Immediately the crew evacuated the ship, taking radios and all armament possible. The crew completed two may day calls on the way down and within minutes, another aircraft came to their assistance. The crew was taken to LZ Center and later back to Chu Lai.

Aircraft Assignment History