Helicopter UH-1H 68-16363

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16363
The Army purchased this helicopter 1069
Total flight hours at this point: 00002286
Date: 09/10/72
Accident case number: 720910041
Unit: 57 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Camp Holloway in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing 4938
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
AC W1 DARBY EC
CP O2 HOLDEN LJ
CE E5 STRONG RL
G E4 HUGHES SA

Passengers:
 O6 UNK, PAX, G; X1 UNK, PAX, G; X1 UNK, PAX, G;


Accident Summary:

 (ABRIDGED) AT ^0730 HRS, 10 SEPTEMBER 1972^, THE CREW OF AIRCRAFT ^#6816363^ RECEIVED A MISSION TO PICK UP PASSENGERS, AND RETURN TO AN ^ARVN^ BASE LOCATED AT ^PLEIKU CITY^. THE CREW DEPARTED FOR ^KONTOM CITY^ AT^0740 HRS^ AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR PASSENGER TRANSPORT FLIGHT WITH NO IRREGULARITIES. THE CREW RECEIVED A MISSION TO TRANSPORT THREE PASSENGERS TO AN ^ARVN^ INSTALLATION LOCATED SOME FIFTEEN MILES SOUTHWEST OF ^PLEIKU^ CITY. THE CREW DEPARTED ^ARTILLERY HILL^ WITH THE THREE PASSENGERS AT ^1440 HRS^. THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON NEARING ^TAN ANH^, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE CONTACTED ^HOLLOWAY TOWER^ AT ^PLEIKU^ FOR WIND INFORMATION AND WAS ADVISED THAT SURFACE WINDS AT ^PLEIKU^ WERE FROM THE NORTHEAST (030) AT 5 KNOTS. AN AMERICAN COLONEL ^06^, ONE OF THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD, CONTACTED ^TAN ANH^ FSB, DETERMINED THAT ARTILLERY WAS FIRING TO THE WEST FROM THAT LOCATION, ADVISED ^WO1 DARBY^ OF THE ARTILLERY, AND SUGGESTED THAT A LANDING BE MADE TO THE WEST. ^WO1 DARBY^, EVALUATING THE TACTICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, ELECTED TO APPROACH TO THE WEST, PLANNING TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT AT TERMINATION, FACING IT IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AND INTO THE REPORTED WINDS. THE APPROACH WAS INITIATED IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION, AS WAS ESTABLISHED DURING INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT. IT IS SUSPECTED THAT, AS A RESULT OF HIS MISORIENTATION AND FAILURE TO CHECK INSTRUMENTS, ^WO1 DARBY^ EXECUTED A DOWNWIND APPROACH TO THE SOUTH RATHER THAN THE PLANNED CROSSWIND APPROACH TO THE WEST. EXACT WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY AT THE SCENE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED, SO THE ABOVE SUSPICION IS BASED ON REPORTED WINDS AT ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ AND OBSERVED WINDS AT ^PLEIKU^ AIR BASE. AFTER INITIATION OF THE APPROACH, DURING HIS LOW RECONNAISSANCE, ^WO1 DARBY^ NOTED THAT HIS INTENDED TERMINATION POINT HAD A PILE OF WOODEN BOXED STACKED NEAR IT. HE ELECTED TO TERMINATE BEYOND AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE BOXES, STILL INTENDING TO SWING HIS NOSE TO THE RIGHT AT TERMINATION. ^WO1 DARBY^ CONTINUED THE APPROACH TO THE AMENDED TERMINATION POINT AND, PRIOR TO FULLY STOPPING FORWARD MOTION OF THE AIRCRAFT BUT AFTER LOSING TRANSLATIONAL LIFT, BEGAN A PEDAL TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE AFT LEFT SECTION OF THE TAIL BOOM MADE CONTACT WITH THE WOODEN BOXES STACKED NEAR THE HELIPAD. ^WO1 DARBY^ INITIATED THE RIGHT PEDAL TURN WITHOUT OBTAINING A "TAIL CLEAR LEFT" INDICATION FROM HIS CREW CHIEF. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, ^WO1 DARBY^ REPOSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY TO THE WEST AND LANDED. THE CREW CHIEF, ^SP5 STRONG^, VISUALLY INSPECTED THE TAIL BOOM, REPORTED WHAT DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT, AND ^WO1 DARBY^ ELECTED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ FOR MAINTENANCE. THE PASSENGERS OFF-LOADED AND THE AIRCRAFT AND CREW RETURNED TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ WITHOUT FURTHER IRREGULARITIES, ARRIVING AND TERMINATING THE FLIGHT AT ^1550 HRS, 10 SEPTEMBER 1972^.\\


The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16363
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 1069.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6910   0    0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS      ITR CONUS                   AVCOMITR
6911  14   14 WAYAAA 119 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6912 153  167 WAYAAA 119 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7001 140  307 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7002  80  387 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7003  89  476 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7004 104  580 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7005  56  636 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7006  71  707 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7007  76  783 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7008  90  873 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7009  32  905 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7010 139 1044 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7011  70 1114 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7012 111 1225 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7101  50 1275 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7102  96 1371 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7103 101 1472 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7104  85 1557 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7105  61 1618 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7106  34 1652 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7107  31 1683 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7108  50 1733 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7109  86 1819 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7110  65 1884 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7111  41 1925 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7112  48 1973 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7201  80 2053 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7202  64 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7203   0 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7204   0 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7205   0 2117 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7206  18 2135 WAX5AA 361 AHC          VIETNAM                     RVN     
7207  61 2196 WAX5AA 361 AHC          VIETNAM                     RVN     
7208  32 2228 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7209  58 2286 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7210  76 2362 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7211  51 2413 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7212  73 2486 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7301  23 2509 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     
7302  10 2519 WAX5AA 57 AHC           VIETNAM                     RVN     


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Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870


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Printed from databases on: 02/27/99

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