. THE CREW HAD COMPLETED THEIR MISSION, REFUELED AT QUAN LOI, AND WERE ENROUTE TO LAI KHE VIA HIGHWAY 13. THE PILOT WAS FLYING AT 2500 FEET AND 100 KNOTS. HE NOTICED THE MASTER CAUTION AND CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT WERE ON, AND HE INFORMED THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN AN INSTRUMENT CHECK. HE THEN CHECKED THE CHIP DETECTOR AND ASCERTAINED THAT IT WAS THE ENGINE OIL CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT. THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE HAD DROPPED TO 5 LBS PSI. HE NOTIFIED HIS LEAD SHIP OF HIS SITUATION, AND WAS ADVISED BY THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF THE LEAD SHIP TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER OF 209 FELT, AS HE WAS ONLY A FEW KILOMETERS FROM HOME PLATE, THAT HE COULD CONTINUE THE FLIGHT AND LAND AT LAI KHE. HE BEGAN A DESCENT TO 400 FEET AGL. HE THEN CALLED LAI KHE TOWER AND ADVISED THEM OF HIS SITUATION AND REQUESTED A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 23. AT THIS TIME THE ENGINE FAILED WITH A LOUD GRATING NOISE. THE ENGINE FAILED APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES AFTER THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT MADE HIS MAYDAY CALL AND INITIATED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 400 FEET AGL AND 130 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER BUILT THE ROTOR RPM TO 295. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WITH THE GROUND DOWNWIND AT A RELATIVELY HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON A ROAD IN A DECELERATING ATTITUDE, RIGHT SKID LOW. IT BOUNCED, YAWED RIGHT, AND TOUCHED DOWN SIDEWAYS. THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHTENED OUT AND SKIDDED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE TO A STOP.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15209
The Army purchased this helicopter 0869
Total flight hours at this point: 00000391
Date: 12/30/1970
Unit: 114 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
for Close Air Support
While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 1000 feet and 130 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size.
The helicopter was hit in the Main Rotor Blade System
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: JSIDR (Joint Services Incident Damage Report. )
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15209
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 0869.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6908 1 1 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD AVCOM 6909 0 1 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD AVCOM 6910 27 28 WAAVD0 COD 227ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN 6911 194 222 WAAVD0 COD 227ABAH1CAV VIETNAM RVN 6912 89 311 WC5DAA 605 TRANS CO DS VIETNAM RVN 7001 0 311 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7002 0 311 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7003 0 311 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7004 0 311 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7005 0 311 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7006 0 311 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7007 0 311 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7008 0 311 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7009 0 311 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7010 10 321 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7011 0 321 WC5GAA 610 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7012 70 391 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7101 59 450 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7102 41 491 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7103 67 558 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7104 49 607 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7105 44 651 WCLUAA 611 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7106 0 651 W0Y6AA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7107 0 651 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7108 3 654 W0MUAA 8TH SQ AIR CAV 1ST ARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 7109 0 654 W0MUAA 8TH SQ AIR CAV 1ST ARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 7110 0 654 W0MUAA 8TH SQ AIR CAV 1ST ARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 7111 3 657 W0MUAA 8TH SQ AIR CAV 1ST ARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 7112 0 657 W0MUAA 8TH SQ AIR CAV 1ST ARMY FORT KNOX 1ST ARMY 7201 0 657 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7202 18 675 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7203 14 689 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7204 0 689 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7205 0 689 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7206 2 691 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7207 14 705 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7208 6 711 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7209 2 713 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7210 17 730 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7211 5 735 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7212 6 741 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7301 0 741 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7302 4 745 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7303 4 749 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7304 32 781 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7305 35 816 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7306 16 832 WAYAAA SUPPLY DIV 3RD ARMY FORT BRAGG 3RD ARMY 7307 20 852 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7308 32 884 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7309 6 890 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7310 0 890 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7311 2 892 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7312 0 892 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7401 2 894 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7402 8 902 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7403 13 915 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7404 0 915 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7405 0 915 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7406 0 915 WAYAAA 119TH AVN CO 1ST ARMY FORT BRAGG FORSCOM 7410 0 915 W0MUAA US ARMY DEPOT IN MAINT CORPUS CHRISTI AVSCOM 7411 0 915 W0MUAA US ARMY DEPOT IN MAINT CORPUS CHRISTI AVSCOM 7412 2 917 W0MUAA US ARMY DEPOT IN MAINT CORPUS CHRISTI AVSCOM 7501 2 919 W0MUAA US ARMY DEPOT AWTG DISP CORPUS CHRISTI AVSCOM 7502 1 920 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN TRANSIT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7503 0 920 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN MAINT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7504 0 920 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN MAINT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7505 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM 7506 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM 7507 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM 7508 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM 7509 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM 7510 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM 7511 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM 7512 0 920 W0Y6AA NASA LOAN LANGLY RSH CTR AVSCOM
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