. 1. BRIEF: ABRIDGED ENROUTE TO ^RAC GIA^ THE LFT ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS AND HAZE AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 FEET. 1LT ^VAN GUZEE^ CALLED WO ^HAGUE^ TO TELL HIM THAT HE HAD ENTERED CLOUDS AND WAS DESCENDING. 1LT ^VAN DUZEE^ WAS FLYING AN EASTERLY COURSE AT THIS TIME AND COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF ^CAN THO^. WO ^HAGUE^ WAS FOLLOWING THE LEAD AIRCRAFT AND LOST SIGHT OF IT AS 1LT ^VAN DUZEE^ ENTERED THE CLOUDS. WO ^HAGUE^ ALSO ENTERED CLOUDS AND BEGAN A DESCENT IN ORDER TO REGAIN VISUAL CONTACT. WO ^HAGUE^ WAS FLYING AT APPROXIMATELY 700-800 FEET AT TIME HE ENTERED IFR CONDITIONS. THE EXACT TIME WO ^HAGUE^ WAS IN THE CLOUDS IS NOT KNOWN, HOWEVER BOTH PILOTS IN AH-1G ^68-15006^ STATE IT WAS ONLY MOMENTARILY AND THE ATTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CHANGE. ABOUT THE TIME WO ^HAGUE^ ENTERED THE CLOUDS 1LT ^VAN DUZEE^ CALLED WO ^HAGUE^ AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO CONTACT ^DELTA^CENTER FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND ARTILLERY INFORMATION. WO ^HAGUE^ DOES NOT RECALL MAKING THE CALL TO ^DELTA^ CENTER NOR DOES 1LT ^SCHAFFNER^. ^DELTA^ CENTER HAD NO RECORD OF THE RADIO CALL TO INITUATE FLIGHT FOLLOWING FOR THE LFT. WO ^HAGUE^ RECALLS MAKING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND A SECOND OR TWO PRIOR TO IMPACT. HE ESTIMATED HIS AIRSPEED TO BE IN EXCESS OF 100 KNOTS. 1LT ^SCHAFFNER^ REMEMBERS THE AIRSPEED AT 90-100 KNOTS, AS THE DESCENT WAS BEGUN. HE DOES NOT RECALL ANYTHING ELSE UNTIL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WAS MADE. THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND SKIDS LEVEL, HEADING APPROXIMATELY 130 DEGREES. INITIAL IMPACT WAS MADE IN AN OPEN RICE PADDY, WHICH CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY EIGHTEEN INCHES OF WATER. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AFTER INITIAL IMPACT AND IMPACT AND IMPACTED AGAIN, STILL IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET AND HIT A LARGE DIKE. IT THEN ROLLED ACROSS THE DIKE. SEVERING THE MAST AND MAIN ROTOR. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN APPROXIMATELY EIGHTEEN INCHES OF WATER. THE HEADING OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THIS TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 360 DEGREES. FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL IMPACT THE FINAL RESTING PLACE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS VIRTUALLY TORN APART. 1LT ^VAN DUZEE^ MISSED HIS WING AIRCRAFT AFTER EIGHT TO TEN MINUTES FLYING AFTER HE TRIED TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS WITH WO ^HAGUE^. 1LT ^VAN DUZEE^ CONTACTED ^DELTA^ CENTER TO SEE IF THEY HAD CONTACT WITH AIRCRAFT ^68-15006^. HE ALSO CONTACTED HIS COMPANY OPERATIONS AND INFORMED THEM THAT HE THOUGHT WO ^HAGUE^ WAS DOWN. SEARCH AND RESCUE UNITS WERE NOTIFIED. THE SEARCH AIRCRAFT WERE BROKEN DOWN INTO SEPARATE ELEMENTS AND SEARCHED SPECIFIED AREAS ALONG THE FLIGHT PATH. THE US AIR FORCE PROVIDED ONE C-11& TO DROP FLARES. SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS WERE DISCONTINUED AT 0105 HOURS AND REINITIATED AT 0620 HOURS ^1 AUG 69^. APPROXIMATELY 0845 HOURS WO ^HAGUE^ AND 1LT ^SCHAFFNER^ WERE PICKED UP BY THE ^164TH^ AVIATION GROUP COMMANDER. THE TWO PILOTS WERE RETURNED TO THE ^29TH^ EVACUATION HOSPITAL.\\
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15006
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 0169.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6901 0 0 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD AVCOM 6902 0 0 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD AVCOM 6903 7 7 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6904 83 90 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6905 80 170 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6906 63 233 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6907 55 288 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
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